Shadow-traveling Sucks
by StoryMakerr014
Summary: For Nico di Angelo, shadow-traveling sometimes sucks. It occassionally lands him to really weird and, quite often, dangerous places. Like now, for example. He accidentally appeared inside an apartment owned by a trio of peculiar people, one of whom was intent on dissecting him. Great. Now, he has to escape while being threatened with invisible swords and guns... Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

**I.**

 **KING ARTHUR IS A GIRL?**

For Nico di Angelo, shadow-traveling sometimes sucks.

Oh, don't get him wrong. He didn't hate the ability that was innate to any child of Hades. In fact, he loves shadow-traveling just as much as Percy loves the water, or as much as Annabeth loves riddles and architecture, or as much as Will Solace loves hi-er, the sun and medicine. It was part of being a demigod, of being himself, that he could not simply hate. Similar to a talent that he was proud of.

It's just that, sometimes, it lands him in really weird and slash or absolutely dangerous situations.

For example, there was seven years ago. After discovering his real identity as the child of the god of the Underworld, he immediately began to train himself in the ways of death and darkness. For many days, he tried to make the shadows bend to his will, hoping to utilize them as a means of travel just as he was taught to. Unfortunately, despite practicing for weeks, the first time he had used it didn't produced any desirable results.

Well, it actually did. That is, if you could consider appearing _atop_ the Great Wall of China as desirable.

Granted, his mentor was the ghost of a mad king hellbent - quite literally - on getting revenge. But still, he had not expected to shadow-travel in China at his first try when he performed it in the US - a country an ocean away.

There were also the walls. No, not the one in China this time, but other walls. Regular walls. Smaller walls. House walls. He had kept running through them as he tried to enter the shadows, always knocking himself out cold when his powers failed him and discovering just how solid bricks could be, sometimes sleeping a full day when he got tired. Then, there were times when he had actually became _part_ of the wall, being stuck inside one once when his concentration failed due to some stupid and annoying former ghost king at his side. It took him several hours just to free himself, waiting for the sun to set and the shadows to grow while constantly screaming and cursing in a combination of Italian, English and Ancient Greek.

After all, it had really hurt. A lot.

And then, there was the entire Second Giant War, which was almost a world tour in itself. Shadow-traveling between continents while carrying a war freak satyr, a Roman praetor with love problems, and a fricking 30-feet tall statue of Athena, all the while being hunted by werewolves and giants, was definitely _not_ part of his top ten bucket list. Many times they had emerged on places they definitely would not want to be; above an active volcano, above the Pacific Ocean, on top of a fountain in Portugal, a café in Argentina. The list goes on. In fact, he had spent too much of his energy just to get the Athena Parthenos across the ocean, to the point that he almost literally became a shadow itself. And if not for Coach Hedge's magic and his own determination, he would have already become one.

That's why after the war, he had asked(read: pestered) his oh-so-wonderful father himself to personally train him. He didn't want to experience the same incident again, not when it could be essential to any possible wars in the future. After all, Gaea could not be the only immortal goddess with a grudge against demigods and their parents.

Three years has passed since then, and now he was eighteen years old. He could control his powers more freely now thanks to Hades, and his accidental trips to random places(and China) were finally lessened. Shadow-traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast no longer taxed him as much as it did before, his concentration and accuracy more focused than ever. Of course, there's still the occassional slip, especially whenever he was tired, but even those were becoming less frequent. He was no longer appearing in dangerous places too, something he was really grateful for. And for a time, he taught he had already mastered the art of shadow-traveling.

Sadly, the Fates really loved messing with him. He made another slip again, which was not much of a surprise anymore. The thing was, where he ended up was probably one of the most weirdest and dangerous place he had possibly appeared to in his life.

It was near the end of summer vacation when the incident happened. He was at _Camp Half-Blood_ acting as temporary combat instructor while his half-sister, Hazel Levesque, and her boyfriend(and his possible _future_ brother-in-law), Frank Zhang, were on a tour in Paris for a week, along with some of their friends. After promising to meet them later on that particular day in their private ship, he had immediately set out to do his duties. He may be visiting less frequently than usual due to his status as the Prince of the Underworld(and a certain son of Apollo), but during his free time, he never forgot to pay a visit to what he had considered his first home.

It was after training then, and he was tired from constantly swinging his sword(and terrorizing a few stubborn Ares kids), when he met Chiron and asked him for permission to finally leave for Europe. It didn't took him long to get the centaur's approval, to which he immediately entered his cabin in preparation of shadow-traveling. It was specifically built to answer to his every needs, so while it may be sunny and bright outside, the shadows inside was like those of the Underworld.

He did a quick change, wearing a simple black shirt and matching pants with his aviators jacket. He didn't bother taking anything else except for the ever present skull ring on his left hand and the Stygian iron sword - which could disappear at his will - buckled on his waist. _Leo's Awesome Boat_ (the name still makes Nico flinch every time) was widely known to be stockpiled with practically everything, so bringing any other items would be pretty useless.

The son of Hades drew a deep breath, closing his eyes and visualizing the ship in his mind. It was necessary for him to vividly imagine his destination for an accurate travel. If he didn't focused enough, there's a chance he might end up somewhere else again.

He felt the shadows answering his call, swirling around and embracing him like an old friend. The darkness grew, the temperature dropping quickly, and he felt himself being momentarily weightless as his body traveled into the void. Screams, moans and other terrors rang in his ears, but he was not fazed by them. All the years of using this ability had made him immune to such things, and now they were nothing more than background noises to him. Like a street filled with the usual things you could find; he was the pedestrian - all the rest were unimportant.

The sensation didn't last long. One moment, he was inside his cabin. The next instance, he was already on the other side of the world. Releasing a sigh of relief, Nico opened his eyes...

And promptly groaned.

He immediately knew that he didn't ended up at the ship. The most obvious evidence was the floor - whereas the ship's was made with polished mahogany, this one was worn out from use. Made of regular oak wood, it was surprisingly clean and looked well maintained despite its age - whoever lives in here must have had a lot of free time on their hands.

The next thing he noticed was the hallway itself. It was a bit smaller compared to the ones in their ship; just large enough for five people to stand from one end to another. A few steps ahead was a set of stairs leading down below where he could glimpse part of the front entrance. On either side of the hallway were two doors - probably bedrooms - with a small table sitting on the left wall, a flower vase resting on top of it.

This was a house. Or an apartment, maybe? He was not sure, but he knew someone lives here; the lily flowers he saw was definitely fresh. Plus, he could sense two people in the room to his left, and he could hear their muffled voices.

But... something was not right.

He didn't know what it was, but it was making his demigod instincts scream at him to leave this place immediately. Like this was some sort of dangerous house. It was the same thing he had felt when he visited _Camp Jupiter_ for the first time, a sense of urgency to leave, as if he shouldn't be there at all. However, the feeling in here was ten times worst than that.

He bit his lip. He couldn't shadow-travel right now; he was still tired from doing it just a few minutes ago. Besides, there was no shadow here anyway. The sunlight streaming through the window near the stairs bathed the hallway in all directions, leaving no room for darkness to crawl. There was his own shadow, yes, but it wasn't enough for a safe travel. Not in his current condition at least.

Still, he was not a son of Hades for nothing. As someone who has been walking among the dead for many years now, he has taken some of their characteristics for his own. He could move like a spectre if he wanted to, his footsteps silent and weightless. Many times people were startled by him simply because they hadn't heard him approach until he was standing beside them, giving them the fright of their lives. Combined with his power over darkness, he was confident he could mask his presence in here.

Nico took a step, testing the floorboards. Good, it didn't made any sound. He could easily creep to the stairs without gaining the occupant's attention. And then, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to go down and escape through the front door. He could definitely do this.

He started to walk, trying to make as little noise as possible. The distance between his position and the stairs was not far, so it won't be difficult for him to cross it. The only problem would be the two inhabitants in one of the rooms; if they suddenly step out into the hallway, they would immediately see him and prevent his escape.

He shook his head. There's no use in worrying about that for now. Besides, he was certain that he could exit the house without them knowing. He just needed to remain careful and silent as he proceed along the short corridor.

It's closer now. He was already anticipating his escape, which brough t a faint smile on his lips. All he needed to do was to pass one of the doors and get to the other side quickly to avoid detection. It's quite risky considering it was slightly open and if the floor made so much as a faint squeak, he would be discovered instantly. However, he believed that his doubts were baseless. He survived Tartarus, after all. This should only be a piece of cake for him.

At least, that's what he had initially thought.

He had just gotten to the other side of the door when things started to go _very_ wrong. He didn't know what prompted him to do so, but he suddenly had the urge to listen to the conversation inside the room. Perhaps it had to do with his ADHD, but he thought he prided himself for being the one with the most control over it between Percy and Leo, with Annabeth coming in second. Whatever the case though, he soon found himself turning his back against the stairs and inching back closer towards the door to eavesdrop.

It was kinda stupid.

Their language was Japanese! How was he suppose to understand them? He could speak Italian, English, some bits of Spanish and Latin, and most of all, Ancient Greek. However, he hadn't bothered to learn Japanese. There were the ghosts from World War II, but they were not really that reliable. Whatever words he knew of the language came from Drew Tanaka, who was definitely not a good source of knowledge. Him eavesdropping was practically pointless.

He grumbled and was about to leave then when something in their conversation caught his attention. It was the tone of their voices rather than the words themselves that made him paused.

" _-inside our apartment?_ "

" _I don't know. What should we do?_ "

" _We wait for him to lower his guard, then we catch him and_ dissect _him._ "

" _Er, I think that's a bit overboard, Rin._ "

Rin? That sounded like a name. Judging by their voices, the two speakers were obviously a man and a woman, probably just a few years older than him. Couples, maybe? Or perhaps friends. In any case, they seemed to be talking rather casually - in fact, too casual for his taste - which made him slightly suspicious. After years of secretly listening to homicidal monsters, titans, and gods, he had learned how to pick up the intents of the speakers just by going with their tone even if the language was different. From what he was hearing, these two seemed to be talking in a way that would sound normal to others even if it's actually not.

He frowned, leaning closer to listen. He may not understand them, but at least he could 'record' the entire conversation in his memory. He could just ask Clovis or any of the Hypnos campers to extract them afterwards, if they were proven to be valuable.

" _Shirou, the guy managed to appear inside the Bounded Field I had set up myself without even going through the front door!_ "

" _Maybe the field is just weak?_ "

There was a shout from the woman, a bang, and a cry of terror from the man. Nico almost flinched, but he controlled himself. He heard the word 'Shirou' being spoken by the woman, and though he was not familiar with Japanese names, it sounded like one. 'Shirou' said the word 'Rin' as well before, which could mean that they were indeed names.

Rin and Shirou...

" _Say that again,_ Emiya _-kun?_ " 'Rin' said in a very sweet yet obviously venom-filled voice.

" _I-I was just joking! Now, can you please point that finger away from me?_ " 'Shirou' squeaked, clearly frightened.

So, 'Emiya-kun'? The honorics meant that it was a name, spoken by 'Rin'. Then, the guy must be called Shirou Emiya, or Emiya Shirou if he would go with the traditional Japanese way of saying their names.

Emiya Shirou...

There was a tensed silence. Nico thought that Shirou and Rin had finally stopped talking, and he was about to leave then. But their next conversation made him suddenly alert.

" _He's outside the door._ "

" _I know. Should we go out now and confront him?_ "

The tone in their voices had changed. They were now serious, and a sense of foreboding suddenly filled his chest. Imminent danger was rapidly approaching, which means he needed to-

"Nah, Saber can take care of our sneaky friend just fine."

The sudden shift in English threw him off guard, and for a moment, he frowned in confusion. It should have already raised warning bells inside his head, but he was too preoccupied with their conversation that he hadn't noticed the real reason for the switch. Why would they speak in another language if it's just the two of them in here? That didn't made any sense. Unless...

He realized it too late. Before he could react, he suddenly felt an overwhelming presence behind him.

And then, a feminine voice harder than diamonds and colder than Boreas' winds spoke.

"One wrong move, intruder, and I'll _cut_ you down."

Nico di Angelo was rarely afraid of anyone or anything. Ever since his sister, Bianca, died, he had been alone in his journeys, forging his own path. He was alone in discovering his real identity, his powers, even his sexuality. He had fought gods and titans, and though he have had help, most of the time, it was only him and his sword. He had survived traveling to Tartarus all by himself, escaping it as well in the same manner. To him, being scared was a sensation he had already forgotten. He was the son of Hades, after all. The Ghost King, Prince of the Underworld. It was the people who should be scared of him.

However, at that moment, he felt a small trace of genuine fear crawling down his spine.

He had been in the presence of gods and titans before, his father included, and he knew how powerful they were just by being near them. Their aura was staggering; a wall of sheer energy that could overcome anyone not strong enough to face them. It was relatively the same with his cousins: Percy and Jason, though obviously weaker than their parents. He thought nothing could match them.

He was proven wrong.

While the person behind him was considerably weaker than a deity, her aura was terrifyingly _much_ stronger than any demigod he had ever met. Even his own paled in comparison, something that made him utterly nervous. Whoever this girl was, her parents must be ridiculously powerful. Was she some kind of demi-titan or a demi-primordial? The thought sounded far-fetched and stupid, but he could not find any other explanation for it. The fact that she had suddenly appeared behind him out of the blue didn't help either. He should have sensed her approached, and yet she managed to get past detection.

How did she do that?

He backed away slowly, feeling her steely gaze bore holes at the back of his head as he raised his hands in surrender. There's no use trying to escape now; she was blocking the stairs. Any wrong move on his part would certainly end in disaster.

Just as his back pressed against the opposite wall, the door in front of him opened.

" _Well, well, what do we have here?_ "

A woman, likely Rin, stepped out, smiling in a way that reminded Nico very much of a cat that has cornered its prey. Long raven hair cascaded down her back, reaching just abover her waist. Aquamarine eyes brimming with shrewd intelligence stared at him with interest, seizing him up and observing him intently. Her sharp features, though beautiful, was set in a facade of politeness, hiding a predatory side underneath. She ooze an extreme amount of confidence as well, and her posture suggested that she came from a well-off family.

Beside her stood a young man... and it was him that made Nico pause. He was impressively tall, reaching Frank's height, though he was less buffed and was instead built like an athlete; lean yet muscular. His crimson wavy hair was shockingly sprinkled with strands of white, quite similar to Annabeth and Percy when they once held up the sky in Mt. Othrys, and later during the whole Tartarus incident. Amber golden eyes stared at him curiously, though he could also sense a great deal of wariness on them. He was slightly tanned, which means he was out in the sun often.

Emiya Shirou seemed polite and kind enough, with no hint of hostility, unlike his two housemates. However, to Nico, he also looked dangerous. He didn't know why, but he could feel something different coming from him. A hidden power, waiting to be unleashed at a moment's notice, ready to strike his opponent.

Like a sword, sheathed but always ready to be drawn.

And then, there was the woman... oh boy, today was definitely _not_ his lucky day.

She was British, that much he could determine. Her impossibly golden hair fell down on her shoulders nicely, framing a face of pure elegance and dignity. Her jade eyes held a strong gaze, like tempered steel, but there was coldness in them that would put the snow goddess, Khione, to shame. She was also lithe, but physically fit. And even though she was only wearing casual attire - a simple white blouse and blue pleated skirt - the way she carried herself was eerily similar to those born in a noble family; regal, proud and composed.

Like a knight... or a monarch.

She stood near the stairs, watching him with wary eyes... strange. Her hands were clasped and raised in front of her, as if she was holding a sword. Except there was no weapon - just empty air. Being a swordsman himself, Nico was familiar with fighting stances. And the woman had entered one, though it seemed to be purely defensive. Her body was tensed, like a lion ready to pounce. But how could that be if she has no sword? At least, nothing that he could see.

Unless it was invisible.

" _I was just entering through the front door when I saw his shadow moving near the stairs. I know we are not expecting any visitors, so I immediately assumed he was an intruder,_ " the woman said calmly in Japanese, her eyes never leaving him.

Rin nodded and smirked. " _Sharp as always, Saber._ "

Nico shifted uneasily at that. Saber? What does she mean by that? The woman was called 'Saber' or the woman was holding an invisible 'saber'? Damn, if only he could understand Japanese!

" _Shirou, what's for dinner?_ " Saber(?) glanced at the red-haired man.

" _Ah, about that_ ," Shirou scratched his head nervously. " _I was about to make it when he... showed up_."

The man gestured towards Nico. The son of Hades had no clue what they were talking about, but he seriously hoped it didn't involved invisible swords and sabers.

" _Is that so?_ " Saber narrowed her eyes, and for a moment, Nico almost imagined a lion gazing at him with a murderous expression.

The thought didn't made his situation easier.

" _Yup,_ " Rin said rather cheerfully. " _So if you want to, you could beat him up later after I perform some experiments on him._ "

" _I might,_ " Saber muttered in displeasure, " _though it depends on Shirou-_ "

At last, Nico couldn't take it anymore. All these thoughts about invisible swords and lions were just too much, even for a demigod son of Hades like him. Add the fact that these people were talking in a language that for the love of his father's oily pants he couldn't understand, well, it could make anyone angry. And Nico was known to be slightly temperamental.

"Can you guys stop speaking in Japanese already?" he snapped irritably and shot them a glare. "You three are giving me a headache! Do you guys know that it's very rude to speak another language in front of someone who can't understand it?"

The trio stared at him with a mixture of shock, annoyance, amusement and embarassment.

"He's right, you know," Shirou said in _normal_ English after a moment of silence.

"Of course, he is," Rin rolled her eyes.

"Very well. We will speak in English if you wish," Saber(?) nodded. "But first, tell us why you are here and what you are doing inside our apartment."

Nico sighed in relief. Finally! He thought his head was going to explode from listening to them speak in Japanese. Now, all he needed to do was to convince them to let him leave peacefully. It would be hard though; he couldn't just tell them that he suddenly appeared inside their house, right?

No, of course, he could.

"Um, will you guys believe me if I said I _just_ appeared here by accident?" he asked hopefully.

The trio blinked as one. For a second, he thought that they had actually believed him. Stupid it may be, but he had no other excuse to say. It was the best he could come up with!

"Will you believe us if we told you that I am a magic user, she is King Arthur, and that he can make swords appear out of thin air?" Rin raised an eyebrow mockingly and pointed at herself, then to the British woman, then finally to Shirou.

Now, it's Nico's turn to blink. He had already heard a lot of weird things in his life; from discovering that his father was a slightly emo god of the Underworld, to learning that Chiron wears curlers(shhhh! Don't tell him that) in his tails at night. Nothing, and he really meant _nothing_ , could surprise him anymore. Not even people who uses magic or men who could make swords appear out of thin air.

However, the fact that King Arthur was a girl...

"King Arthur is a girl?" he repeated loudly and glanced at the British woman in disbelief.

Seriously? King - or was it Queen now? - Arthur was a girl? Really? Sure, he was somewhat shocked before at (re)learning that the gods of Olympus actually existed and were still walking in the mortal world. But... _really?_ The famous king of Britain was a girl? Him - or her - being alive after several hundred years was not surprising. After all, he had met a lot of immortals before. However, his(or her...ugh! whatever!) real gender _was_ surprising.

"Yes, but-look, that's not the point!" Rin stomped her foot in annoyance and fixed him with an incredelous look. "Seriously, that's what you are going to ask first after I just told you that I'm a magic user?"

"Well, yeah." Nico said. "I mean, all the stories says he - she - was a man..." his voice trailed off as he regarded the woman again. So that's why she seemed to act like a noble...

"I can guarantee you that they were correct," 'King Arthur' sighed. Then she added with a slight grimace, "Somewhat."

"I didn't know sex change has been already discovered back then," Nico commented dryly before he could stop himself.

"W-What?!"

The son of Hades sighed. This was getting weirder and weirder. He better leave soon before they start telling him that she had 'fathered' a child despite being a woman... well, he remembered in the legends that King Arthur had a son named Mordred. Don't tell him he was a _girl_ too?

"Look, can you guys just let me go? I swear I just got here by accident."

Rin's eyebrows shot up. "So you're telling us that you just appeared out of thin air inside our residence?"

She looked skeptical, which was odd considering her revelation about King Arthur's gender.

"Out of the shadows, actually," Nico muttered. When all he got were three blank stares, he sighed once again and rubbed his temples. He was starting to get frustrated with the situation. It seemed he won't be leaving this house without major complications. In order to avoid that then, there's only one thing he must do.

Drawing a deep breath, he cleared his throat and snapped his fingers. There was a whoosh of air, and the sound made by his fingers reverbrated across the hallway.

"You haven't seen anyone," he said loudly. "You haven't seen me nor did you talked to me. None of this ever happened and when I walk out through the front door, you will act normally without any memory of this event."

Mist. It was a powerful force strong enough to erase or suppress memories; even a demigod was not safe from it. The mythological world uses this frequently in their dealings with the mortal realm, keeping the two worlds separated by weaving illusions. Those who didn't have any divine or monster blood in them would naturally be easier to trick. As such, King Arthur or not, Nico was confident enough that he could alter her memories as well as those of her companions. They were just humans, right?

Sadly, he was proven wrong. Again.

The trio stared at him in confusion, and he managed a faint smile at their bewildered faces. That's it. He could finally leave and-

"Are you bullshitting us?" Rin narrowed her eyes.

Nico froze. What the Hades?! It didn't worked?! But that's impossible! Most mortals were not immune to the Mist unless they were Clear Sighted. And only a few people have those ability. There's a chance that all three of them possessed that, but still...

"What are you people?" he muttered with a frown.

Are they demigods? But they were adults already! They couldn't have survived that long without help. Magicians? They could be, but they didn't looked like one. He didn't see any weird staves and wands or Egyptian heiroglyphs. Plus, there's 'King Arthur'...

"Who _and_ what are you?" Rin retorted with the same question.

Nico hesitated. Should he reveal his own identity? No, that would be too risky. If they didn't know a thing about gods and demigods, it might just cause a huge trouble if they learned about the hidden worlds of mythology. He better not say a word then.

"Nobody," he shook his head. "Anyway, I really, really have to go now. My half-sister and several of our friends are waiting for me and I have to be there or else they'll start looking for me. And you definitely wouldn't want them looking for me."

Even as he said this, he was starting to inch closer toward the stairs. King Arthur might be blocking the way, but he was confident in his fighting skills to defend himself briefly until he could find the opening to escape. It's worth a shot, and definitely much better than standing here exchanging bizarre information... and weird stares. Seriously, the way the Japanese woman was looking at him was starting to make him uncomfortable.

"I'm afraid we can't do that, sir," King Arthur said cooly, narrowing her jade eyes at him. "You have trespassed on our rented property without permission, and you did it under questionable methods. Since we do not take intruders lightly, we have no choice but to restrain you." At this, she raised hands higher like a swordsman grasping his sword and entering a battle stance.

Nico blinked. "...okay? You do realize you are holding nothing but invisible air, do you?"

As he said it, he immediately realized how stupid he sounded. He stared at the empty space between her hands, frowning as bits of unneccessary information suddenly filled his mind. Legends and stories of the famous king came into his memory, something about a sword in the stone... King Arthur... Camelot... Merlin the wizard... a sword... an _invisible_ wea...pon... oh no. Don't tell him she was actually _holding_ an invisible Excalibur and... oh, Styx! This was not good!

"You would be surprised at what kind of injuries this Invisible Air can inflict," her lips curved into a smile, all but confirming his suspicions.

Nico's demigod instinct was now screaming at him to run away as fast as he could, but he ignored it. He was not used to being threatened, especially by a complete stranger.

"Is that a threat?" he said quietly. He was hoping she would take back what she said, because gods forbid it, but he was not really in the mood for a fight. He's tired, he's frustrated, and he's _hungry_. And whenever he's like that and someone provokes him... well, they always end up shivering and screaming in their sleep for weeks.

"Yes," she spoke in an equally soft tone. The woman shifted her stance, standing protectively in front of Rin and Shirou. Behind her, the raven-haired girl glanced apprehensively at the redhead man beside her. They could feel the tension increasing in the air, but more than that, there was something else. Something new.

Dread.

Nico smiled, cold and cruel. "Then you would be shocked at what I can do to the three of you if you don't release me soon."

The room seemed to darkened despite the afternoon sunlight streaming from the windows. The air felt suddenly cold, and shadows began to crept towards the son of Hades. He knew they had sensed it too, and he was not surprised to see the man behind the famous king narrowing his eyes dangerously at him.

"Rin, Saber, he is _not_ human," Shirou said in a low voice, though loud enough for Nico to hear.

Surprise, he thought dryly.

"He isn't?!" Rin whispered in shock.

"He isn't one," 'Saber' nodded, tightening her grip on the invisible sword. "I felt it as soon as I saw him."

The Japanese woman squinted at the demigod intently. Her eyes gleamed, and she almost looked like a scientist that had just seen a new species of animal.

"Okay, that's it. We are going to catch him," she decided at last.

"You are making it sound like I'm some sort of exotic animal," Nico snorted.

"Oh, but you are!" the raven-haired smiled wickedly. "Anyone who could suddenly appear inside my Bounded Field without my knowledge is definitely exotic, and I made it my hobby to study exotic things. So, sorry but not sorry, you are now ours."

Nico didn't know what 'Bounded Field' means. However, he perfectly knew when a person was serious about catching him.

"Well, sorry but not sorry, I'm not going to let you capture me," he shot back at her.

"You think you can defeat the three of us?" Saber challenged.

"I had fought enemies much more dangerous and stronger than two Japanese people with weird behaviours and a British woman who is King Arthur that had undergone a sex change," the demigod rolled his eyes. "Yes, I can definitely take on the three of you."

"Wanna try?" he smirked.

For a moment, none of them moved. They watched each other in silence, waiting for the other to take the initiative. Nico knew he was at a disadvantage - he has ADHD. He wouldn't be able to stay put much longer. But if he attacked first, it would leave him wide open. And though he said he could take them all on, in truth, he doubt his abilities to fend off the knight; she was obviously more experienced and skilled than him, and he was certain he would be defeated in mere seconds. Not to mention, she was giving off a powerful aura.

The other problem was the tight space around him; he wouldn't be able to move around much to properly defend against their attacks. And with three people he was facing, he knew he would have a hard time dealing with them.

He tensed, still waiting impatiently for the right moment. His heart was thumping inside his chest now, loud against the deafening silence that engulfed the hallway.

And then, Saber broke that silence.

She swung, intent on cleaving him from shoulder to waist. Her movement was too fast, impossibly fast even for Nico's trained eyes, and only through sheer demigod battle instincts honed after years of fighting monsters and titans was he able to dodge it. When the blow landed on the spot he had just rolled away from, a sudden gust of wind threw him off towards the stairs.

"Oh, Styx!" he cursed, and thunder briefly rumbled in the distance.

What was that? Where did the wind came from? From the invisible sword?

Just who _were_ these people?

He scrambled to his feet and summoned his own sword just in time to block Saber's next strike. In a swirl of shadow and darkness, Stygian iron met invisible air, and his arms shook from the force of her blow.

Hades help him, she was strong!

"What the hell?! Where did that sword came from?!" Rin's eyes widened in shock. Beside her, Shirou narrowed his eyes at the obsidian blade.

Nico growled. This woman was probably more stronger than Percy when it comes to pure skills and combat abilities. Her strength was exceptional too, and he could feel himself being pushed back to the stairs. But even if he could turn around and flee, she was too damn fast. She could catch him in an instant. He needed to do something.

The demigod stared at her. He still couldn't believe that King Arthur - or Saber or whatever - was a woman. She was too beautiful for someone to be a knight and a king, and he was _gay_. But there's no mistakening her posture or the way she spoke. There's no mistakening her swordsmanship and skills. She was the _real_ deal.

He pushed with all his might. He couldn't win this fight; he knew it. But he would be damned before he let them capture him. King Arthur or not, he won't let himself become some experiment by a weird Japanese woman.

Drawing from within himself, Nico released a wave of shadow, forcing everyone to jump away.

Saber recovered immediately, swinging her sword again in a downward slash. Another gust of wind burst forth, shredding the handrails of the stairs. But it was no use - Nico had already leapt to the first floor.

"Saber, be careful!" Shirou groaned. "We are still paying for the damages we did last year!"

"Forget about our expenses!" Rin snapped and pointed an index finger at the broken front door.

"Catch him!"

* * *

Nico slumped on a rooftop, panting and gasping for breath. He was exhausted from running across the streets and avoiding his pursuers. Twice he thought they had almost cornered him, but he was able to shadow-travel a short distance away from them. Unfortunately, he won't be able to travel again until later. His energy was low, and he hadn't eaten since five hours ago. What with his brief fight and the constant use of his powers, he was already drained.

Well, at least, he knew where he was. He was somewhere in London, evident by the Big Ben towering in the distance. That means he was close to Paris. If he could simply rest for a bit, he could regain his strength and shadow-travel to the ship. Of course, he was still being pursued. But he believed he was safe here and-

"Surprise!"

-maybe not.

"Great," he muttered.

"What, you think we will let you escape that easily?" Ms. Crazy Japanese Woman said.

Nico could almost see the smirk on her face.

"To be frank with you? Yes."

"In your dreams, Pale Face," Rin snorted. "Now, turn around or else I'll blast your head like a melon."

Nico rolled his eyes, but complied. He slowly stood up, careful not to make any sudden movements, and turned around to see the woman aiming at him with her fingers poised like a gun.

"Let me guess. You're holding an invisible gun?" he arched an eyebrow. First, it's invisible swords. Now, invisible guns. What's next? Tanks and aircrafts?

"Something more powerful than a simple gun," she smiled in a dangerous way.

"I don't stand a chance, do I?" he sighed. Secretly, he was already plotting his escape. The sun was beginning to set. Soon, night would come and he could use his powers again. All he needed to do was to play along with the cornered mouse charade and keep her occupied.

It shouldn't be too difficult, right?

"Try it, but you can't escape from us. Saber here can jump after you as easily as a lion can hunt its prey," she briefly stepped aside to reveal the 'knight', now in full armor that looked like a dress, standing ready a few feet behind her.

Where did that battle dress came from? Nico thought as he observed her warily.

"Now, tell me who and what are you?" Rin regarded him critically. "Are you some kind of Dead Apostle? A Magus?"

At the word 'dead', Nico's eyebrows twitch. He was already used to it, being a son of Hades and all. But still, there were times when he wished that people would stop pointing it out to him. It's kind of rude to call someone dead, you know, Prince of the Underworld or not.

"Do I really look like I'm dead?" he stared at her flatly.

"Yes," the woman blinked and replied instantly.

Nico shook his head. "Figures," he muttered.

They stood in silence for a minute.

"Well?" Rin demanded at last.

The demigod sighed in defeat. "Alright. You got me," he drew a deep breath before raising his hands in explanation. "I can tell you that I'm no Dead Apostle - whatever that is - or an Angus-"

"Magus. It's Magus," she corrected with a glare.

"Right," Nico said with a blank stare. "Anyway, I'm really just someone who got inside your apartment accidentally without meaning to. I was just going to meet my half-sister, her boyfriend, and our friends to help them out on their tour when I made a mistake and ended up here. If you will release me, I'll pretend none of this ever happened and you won't see me again."

"You expect us to believe your story?" the woman raised an eyebrow.

"You expected me to believe that King Arthur is a girl," Nico deadpanned. "I would say mine is more believable."

Rin thought for a second. "Fair enough," she admitted before narrowing her eyes. "But that doesn't mean you are telling the truth. What if you're lying and you are actually planning to kill us?"

Nico grunted. "If I wanted to kill you, I'll be doing it at night when no one could see me."

And when I'm strongest, he thought.

"Fair point," she nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, we believe you. Now, tell us your name."

He hesitated briefly, but he knew there was no way out of this. Even if he lied, they still knew what he looked like. It won't make a difference if he hid his real name from them.

"Nico. Nico di Angelo," he said softly.

"Italian?" Rin frowned.

"No, Pizzarian," he answered dryly before his expression changed into irritation.

"Of course, I'm Italian!" he snapped. "Or at least, semi-half Italian," he added.

"I see."

There was silence between them again, broken only by the honking of cars below. The sky was beginning to turn purple, and the sun was now sinking on the horizon. It won't be long before it gets dark, and he could finally escape from this madness.

"So, can I go now?" he asked politely after a while. "I really have to meet up with my friends soon."

For a moment, Rin stared at him intently. She regarded him with interest, as if choosing which parts of his body was best to sell. Her eyes gleamed in the darkness with a mad light, prompting Nico to actually shiver.

And then, her smiled turned into a wide and diabolic cheshire grin.

"Oh, sure. You can go... after we are done with you."

Nico's eyes widened in shock, and his lips curled into a snarl. But before he could make a move, the back of his neck suddenly tingled. Twisting around immediately, he saw someone jumping in front of him from the ground below.

"Wha-"

There was a sharp pain at the base of his neck, and he collapsed on the roof in an instant. His consciousness was rapidly slipping from his grasp, and his vision was starting to diminish. Pretty soon, he would lose the fight.

And so, just before total darkness consumed him, he sent a mental shout to anyone who might be listening.

 _Help..._

* * *

 **Second crossover fic I've published** **, this time combining my two favourite series. :)**

 **I was inspired to write this when I saw "A Heart of Steel" by** kujikiri21 **. It's one of the best PJO and FSN crossover story out there, probably even better than most crossovers of each respective fandom. It's definitely a must-read, and I will highly recommend it to** **die hard fans of both series.**

 **Now, I know that Nasuverse doesn't really fit with the world of PJO. But I'm tossing this idea around my head where they exist in the same universe. Unfortunately, this story is just a two-shot. However, if it gets enough feedback, I might use the same principle in future stories. Admittedly, Percy should have been the main focus in here instead of Nico. But I decided at the last minute to replace him with the son of Hades.**

 **The Ghost King deserve more stories, you know. :p**

 **About the characterization... I think made them quite OOC. Sadly, I have to confess that it"s one of my weak points as an author. Plus, it's been some time already since I've read Percy Jackson. XD**

 **Anyway, this is set a few years after Heroes of Olympus and UBW good end. And in case you didn't notice** **, Leo is back. :3**

 **Well, that's it. I can't make any promise on the river Styx, but I'll try to finish the next chapter on OR before Christmas Day.**

 **Please Read & Review!**

 **Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**II.**

 **Rin's Discovery of the Millennium**

When demigods dream, they were usually about the end of the world or the end of their own lives.

Nico's dream, however, was different; he was running on the streets of London avoiding a mob of crazy Japanese women waving their hands as if holding invisible guns, and British women dressed like kings brandishing invisible swords while shouting challenges... in Japanese.

Totally weird.

But then just like every demigod dreams, Nico's slowly began to shift into a surreal one. A dream that was more like a vision than an exaggerated fantasy created by his mind. And just as he passed through the doors of Big Ben while being chased by angry Japanese and British women, his surroundings had abruptly changed.

He was standing on a dark chamber filled with shadows that seemed to dance around him. Numerous torches with flickering sickly white flames dotted the walls, and a blood red carpet lined the path leading to a jewel encrusted high-back chair. On the ceiling was a mural depecting morbid scenes of various ways of dying, while ringing the room were plenty of flower decors made from pure gemstones and other precious metal found only within the depths of the earth.

Nico recognized the room perfectly, of course—it was the throne room of Hades. And as he turned his gaze up ahead, he saw the Lord of the Dead himself sitting majestically upon his throne.

"Father," he greeted immediately and bowed... or at least tried to. The demigod soon realized he was in spectre form, and he couldn't move at all even if he wanted to. Only his eyes had some free range of motion, though one problem waa he couldn't shut them close.

"Nico," Hades began, looking a lot more worried than he had initially expected. "Are you okay, my son? Did they hurt you?" The god leaned forward from his obsidian seat with utmost concern.

That made Nico did a slight double take. His father knew what was happening? Though that should not be a surprise, it still shocked him since he did not expected Hades to monitor his every movement.

A disturbing idea suddenly wormed its way into his mind. What if his father had been watching him every godsdamn time, even during his bonding moments with Will?

Right then, Nico was glad he had no physical body or else his father would have seen the blood rushing on his face in an instant. Sure, the god may not have gone that too far, and he must certainly knew his boundaries. But just the thought of his father being a creepy stalker... nah, best not to go that route lest he mentally scarred himself more than he already was.

Although he would admit that it would be a lot scarier than being threatened with invisible swords and guns.

"I'm alright, father," he answered with as much even tone as he could muster. Then he added with a grimace, "At least, before I was captured."

Oh, he knew very well what had happened just as he lost consciousness. It was not hard to put two together, and from that Rin woman's crazy look and interest in him, he had no doubt he was already in chains somewhere. Probably having the nightmare of his life getting dissected, or worst, serving as practice dummy for her finger guns and that blonde woman's invisible Excalibur.

His face must have shown a bit of worry because Hades suddenly chuckled.

"Don't worry, Nico. You are not dead yet."

The child of Hades grunted at that. "Right. That should make me feel better," he muttered.

It did not escaped him that his father had included the word "yet", which did little to ease his growing anxiety. It was not so much as he feared Death since he was a child of the Underworld, but because for the first time in his life, he had known fear that no monster or even a Titan could have given him. Tartarus was different, of course; it was nightmare incarnate itself. But that woman who supposedly was King Arthur and that red-haired guy named Shirou, not to mention their crazy friend? Only one simple word could describe them.

Scary.

Those three were different. He did not know why, but something about them seemed off. Not in that evil and hostile kind of way like all the divine beings he had encountered and fought. Rather, they gave off a mysterious yet dangerous vibe that left him wondering whether they were somehow related to primordials. It was the only explanation, and King Arthur's longevity would make a lot of sense.

But that should be impossible. Someone with that much power should have already attracted a horde of monsters. Even a regular child of Hermes would attract a Cyclope or two. And yet, those three seemed completely safe. Hades, they did not looked like they even knew the mythological world if their reactions of him was any indication. Which was baffling considering the powers one of them had displayed.

So who were they?

Hades seemed to know them, his expression betraying the knowledge he was keeping to himself. Nico had no doubt he was under an Oath, however, and Nico was once again reminded of how strict the Greek gods were when it comes to information. But he needed to know if he was to escape, and he had to learn what he wanted before he return to awareness.

"Father," he looked up. "I need an honest answer. Do you know who those three were?"

Before his father could respond, Nico's vision suddenly flickered, and the throne room began to shift like a bad television signal, distorting his view momentarily. It was a sign that he was starting to wake up from this dream, a fact that was obvious to Hades as his expression grew even more serious.

"Listen, Nico," the god said with a great sense of urgency in his voice. "We have little time left so I'll keep this as short as possible."

Hades held him with his gaze, commanding him to be as attentive as he could. "I'll answer all your questions once this is over. But for now, remain calm and alert. Whatever happens, do not let those three discover our existence. It is imperative that their world never learns the continued existence of the world of gods and monsters; it would just further complicate things if they did."

Nico shook his head. "Father, I don't-"

The throne room shifted again, beginning to dissolve like mist. The demigod felt his spectre form flicker, and he glanced at his father to see the god's entire image blurring as the dream slowly ends.

"My son, there's not much time left," Hades called, his voice growing distant. "Once you wake up, remember what I said!"

"But-" Nico couldn't see his father anymore, and everything was gradually being replacd by inky darkness. Pretty soon, he would return to consciousness.

"Do not worry!" He heard him say. "Help is on the way!"

"'Help'?" Nico wondered aloud in the void. "Wait! Who are you sending, father?"

The last time he was caught in a situation like this, Percy, Jason, and Piper had rescued him. But they were miles away now in France along with the others. And he was certain his father would not send all of them if he did not want their world to be exposed.

Then again, not all of them needed to come to his aid; a couple of demigods could simply bust him out, and he knew one such person who could easily track him down and rescue him without being indiscreet.

As if in response to Nico's thoughts, Hades chuckled softly from the enveloping darkness.

"Why, who else would I send? Your sister and her boyfriend, of course!"

And with that answer, the dream finally ended

* * *

In her 26 years of living, Tohsaka Rin had already seen and experienced a lot of strange things. Being a Magus entailed a life full of bizarre phenomenons, and the Tohsaka head was no stranger to the supernatural. The world of magic was always full of oddities and pecularities, something she had already grown accustomed to. She had been a Master and participant in the Fifth Holy Grail War, and everything about that event was beyond anything with a resemblance of normalcy.

King Arthur being a lovely and beautiful woman? She took that in stride and did not bat an eye for even one moment. Summoning a Servant that turned out to be an arrogant, cynical jerk and was a possible future version of her boyfriend? The young prodigy merely accepted it after her initial shock. Learning that Kotomine Kirei was really a crappy priest and the cause of all the tragic events in her life? Rin did not doubt that revelation after hearing it and immediately spouted curses at the fake priest.

She thought she was prepared for anything. Training for almost a year under the Wizard Marshall had taught her a few lessons, one of which was to expect all possible events and scenarios when dealing with the mystical realm; after all, talking magic sticks who had the habit of placing individuals in overly embarassing situations were not the greatest bizzare thing magic could have concocted, nor was the utilization of legendary heroes from the past in a free-for-all battle royale the most dangerous phenomenon in the world of magi.

Rin knew there were other things much more stranger than those - stranger and deadlier; True Ancestors, Dead Apostles, and demons were just some of the many nasties plaguing the world, and she had to be a fool to think they were the only ones. The realm of magic was vast, encompassing all fields and aspects of life. To assume that she had already came across all of them would be utter stupidity for her part, and she was anything but stupid.

But then there were cases when things would not go as greatly as she had expected. Events which would force her to examine everything she had learned thus far and make her realize just how inexplicable magic really was.

And it all became apparent when this boy lying asleep on her laboratory table showed up out of nowhere.

The magus did not know what to make of him at first. She was just discussing with Shirou about the recent mission they had in Egypt when the Bounded Field suddenly alerted them of an intruder, from within no less. It was so sudden and unexpected that they had been in shock for a full minute, neither of them speaking nor moving a single inch, still as a statue. She even forgot to breathe, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.

Magecraft was the artificial reenactment of a Mystery, the ability to reproduce what science itself could realize regardless of time and funds. It allows a magus to perform feats that were both incredible and dangerous, despite the fact that current technology could possibly achieve the same results. However, there were still limitations; one of which was Magecraft would never be able to let someone teleport on a specific location no matter how much prana was spent.

Such action was only possible through Magic, the very skill used by ancient Sorcerers to perform a real Miracle, an action that did not require time and natural resources to accomplish. It was an ability that had been wielded only by selected individuals, most of whom were already dead, as well as gods and other Divine Spirits. But the deities were no more, and what few Divine Spirits remained on earth were either lying in dormancy or at the brink of fading away.

So when someone, and a teenaged boy at that, managed to appear inside their apartment without warning, their reactions after they had thought at first that a True Ancestor or something much worse had bypassed their defences were justifiable enough. But then Rin quickly remembered that the Clock Tower was just within the vicinity, and no sane being would dare infiltrate the Mage Association's territory itself. Not when both Lorelei Barthomeloi and Zelretch were around.

That notion had eased their worry for a bit, though it did not fully alluviate the churning in Rin's stomach. It was one thing for a magus to break past a strong Bounded Field. But to emerge from within? It was a valid evidence of a person's magical prowess, which made Rin shiver. If it was a powerful magus, then who could it be? Fortunately, Saber arrived shortly after the kid and caught him sneaking near the stairs.

Things went even more bizarre from there. They had confronted the kid immediately, intent on interrogating him and asking for his reason on suddenly entering their apartment(as well as how). But of course, such a polite discussion was not an option for the kid, and he returned their kindness with hostility.

...okay, so maybe she was not really joking when she mentioned how she wanted to capture the intruder. Who could blame her though? In the slim chance that he was a user of True Magic, it would mean a lot for her career! The Tohsaka would be known throughout the mage community as the one who have rediscovered Magic, and even those copycat Edelfelts would bow down in submission and acknowledge their might.

Unfortunately, her plan seemed to have incurred the kid's wrath, and they soon found out just how dangerous he could be.

When he had summoned a black sword out of seemingly nowhere, Rin had been both shocked and intrigued at the same time. Magi were not supposed to fight in direct close combat; that was the forte of Executioners and Enforcers. Of course, a magus like her was taught basic self-defense(which had proven invaluable against Caster), but that was just to protect herself and not to participate in a hand-to-hand fight.

But the kid was different; he wielded both sword and magic like it was the most natural thing for him to do. And while her lovely Servant and girlfriend had managed to forced him into a hasty retreat without much effort, the fact that he had been able to hold his own even for a while was disturbing.

Nico di Angelo was a trained swordsman, of that Rin could be certain. She had seen the way he fought, his movements and reflexes, and she was sure the kid had been wielding a weapon for a long time. He was definitely not as good as a Servant, especially a Saber-class. But she had the strange feeling that Shirou would have a slightly hard time against him if he would not utilize a portion of his Projection magecraft, especially several of the Noble Phantasms in his Reality Marble.

However, perhaps the most frightening aspect of this kid was his own identity itself.

It took them longer than she had expected, but they were finally able to capture him without another battle. It must have helped that his prana was drained from using whatever teleportation spell he had, and Shirou easily knocked him out cold after they had cornered him. From there, it was an uneventful return back to their apartment where they immediately brought him to Rin's private atelier down in the basement.

And there they made several discoveries that almost made her faint in complete disbelief.

Sitting on a chair while reading a book about Greek mythology, Rin glanced toward the center of the room where the kid lay on a steel table, just beginning to stir as consciousness gradually returned to him. She could not believe it at first when Shirou revealed what he had learned after Tracing di Angelo's black sword, and she was even more dumbfounded when she herself discovered a terrifying revelation about the kid's identity.

It was absurd. Impossible. And now that she had thought about it, the Mage Association would have a difficult time believing her even with solid evidences. Yet there was no mistakening what was in front of her; Nico di Angelo was the living proof himself.

The kid slowly cracked open his eyes, revealing dark pupils that cautiously scanned his surroundings. To an outsider like him, her atelier might seem overwhelming at first glance; shelves and cabinets filled with glass beakers and other instruments lined one part of the wall, and beside that was a large bookshelf crowded with a huge assortment of books. There were also several counters bearing a set of examination tools, and some tables were laden with microscopes and similar instruments.

In reality, however, it was a far cry from what an experienced magus' workshop should have looked like. She would have wanted to emulate her father's with all those magical devices he had accumalated through the long years of being a magus, but what with financial priblems and the constant travel abroad, she had to sell some and leave the rest. Not to mention she could not afford or make her own.

Fortunately, that would soon change. And it would be all thanks to Nico di Angelo.

Rin closed the book and stood up, hugging the tome to her chest while approaching her captive warily. Though she doubt if Nico could use his powers given his present state, she did not want to take any chances. That wave of shadow he had summoned yesterday looked dangerous, and she had no idea what it could do to them.

Rin stopped just as Nico tilted his head in her direction, scowling darkly at the sight of his captor looming over him in triumph. The magus kept herself at a safe distance, standing a couple of feet away from the kid's head, watching him crane his neck upward to get a better view of her.

"Ah, the zombie finally wakes," she smirked as soon as his gaze fell on her.

"Yeah, good morning to you too," he grunted and turned away.

The Tohsaka head inspected her captive more intently. Now that she had gotten a closer look, she realized just how pale his complexion was. Nico looked almost like a corpse himself, and she would have assumed he was if he lay still.

"Do you usually sleep that long? I've never seen a person who slept for fourteen hours straight," she said, walking slowly in circles like a predator prowling around its prey.

"Do you usually threaten someone who appeared inside your house by accident with invisible swords and guns?" he retorted.

"Still feeling cocky, are we? You do realize that you are bound and chained, right? I made it so that you cannot escape easily..." she paused dramatically, then added, "unless you answer my questions."

For a moment, the boy glared at her. Then with a sigh of defeat, he said, "Fine. What do you want from me?"

"I should be the one asking that. What do you want from us?"

"I already told you, didn't I?" he answered, clearly annoyed. "I just got here by accident. It was never my intention in the first place to disrupt your perfectly peaceful lives."

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Was that supposed to be sarcasm?"

"Why would it be? Unless of course, your lives are not peaceful," he said dryly.

There was a pause. Talking to him was like talking with Kirei, only that he was annoying and creepy in a very different, though considerably less harmful, way. It was clear he would not reveal any information about himself. They could talk for hours, but she would not get anything useful. In the end, Rin decided to change tactics.

"What are you?" she asked. The answer was immediate.

"Italian."

"An italian with a trace of Divinity?"

At this, his face paled even more than it already was, and Rin knew she had hit the jackpot.

"W-What?"

"Your blood. I took a sample from you and ran some tests on it," she explained as she circled around him one last time. She stopped next to his head, then with a smirk Rin lowered her face until her lips hovered next to his right ear and she whispered, "And guess what I found out?"

Nico blinked, looking nervous. "...my blood sugar is running dangerously low?"

"Well, other than that..." she straightened up and gaze at him with interest. "You are really something, aren't you? You have an insane amount of prana in your blood, high enough to perform feats closer to a True Magic. But only people with Divinity can have that much..." she trailed off. "Just what are you?"

She knew the answer already, of course, however ridicilous and absurd it sounded. She just wanted it to come from himself. With all the recording devices she had placed around the room, every thing he would say and do would be recorded and captured. If she acquired sufficient evidences, she could present her findings at the Clock Tower and get enough recognition and fame.

The door opened before he could speak, however, and Shirou and Saber entered. Rin's boyfriend was carrying a tray laden with food, looking concerned and troubled at the same time. Last night, he had taken Nico's weapon and examined it for an hour. When he was finished and had traced it, he relayed his findings to Rin.

What Shirou said only confirmed her preliminary assessment and assumption regarding Nico's identity.

"Oh, he's finally awake?" asked Shirou as he laid the tray on a nearby table. Saber trailed behind him carrying a long object wrapped in cloth, holding it gingerly in her arms and looking as if it was a cursed item. When she saw Nico staring at the bundle, her expression darkened.

"Yup. I'm just starting to interrogate him," answered Rin. She glanced toward their captive and smiled.

"What am I, a criminal?" Nico rolled his eyes.

"You broke into our apartment, remember?"

"I already told you that it was an accident!" he said exasperatedly.

"I didn't know that you could break inside someone's property by accident without going through the windows and doors." Snorting, she strode toward Shirou and stared at the tray. "You brought some food?" she asked.

"Well, yeah," Shirou rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. "I mean, it seems improper if we just let him starve..."

"Well, that's up to him, isn't it?" she glanced back at Nico and smirked. "If he doesn't answer my questions, we'll have to refrain from feeding him."

For a moment, Shirou looked nervous. "Don't you think that's kind of harsh-"

"No, Rin is right, Shirou," interrupted Saber. Her emerald eyes glared at Nico with so much intensity that he looked away immediately. "We can't let him regain his strength until we know more about him and we are convinced that he is not a threat."

"See? Even Saber agrees with me." Rin held a triumphant grin. She always loved it when her girlfriend agree with her, though she knew the King of Knights had her own reason; food had always been one of her weaknesses.

"I have a feeling there's more to it than that," muttered Shirou.

Rin shrugged. She hovered over the tray, her eyes wandering at the expertly prepared meal that was a bit overkill. It was a complete breakfast set with eggs, bacon, several slices of wheat bread, an onion soup, a platter of banana, an apple, and a glass of milk. The meal could have filled Saber's nearly bottomless stomach alone, and as always Shirou's kindness generosity was appreciated, but she sometimes wished her boyfriend would not go overboard like what was happening now.

She picked up a strip of bacon between her thumb and forefinger and placed it inside her mouth with deliberate slowness. "Mmmm, this is good," she said as she chewed with her eyes closex, purposely facing their captive. Once she was finished, Rin opened them and said, "Hungry?"

"Will you let me eat if I said 'yes'?" the boy all but admitted it. And she could not blame him; it had been fourteen hours since they had captured him.

Rin did not responded to his question at first. Instead, she walked toward a nearby high-backed leather chair and sat down, crossing her legs. Steepling her fingers, she said, "If you answer everything I will ask you."

Nico sighed. "Is this how you guys torture people?"

"No. This is how I torture my experiments." Rin leaned back in her seat and looked for all the world like an evil mastermind. Her lips curved into a crooked smile. "Now tell me, Nico di Angelo: what are you?"

He was silent for a moment while he thought of a response, and Rin could almost see and hear the gears shifting in the kid's head. To be frank with herself, she did not expect any sort of answer. Nico was too secretive; he would not disclose his identity that easily. And based from her experience, a person like that never do even under pain of death.

Of course, she was hoping it would not come to that. She needed a _live_ _specimen_ which she could present to the Great Father.

When he finally answered, Rin's eyebrows almost disappeared to her hairline.

"I'm gay," said Nico with absolute seriousness that she never doubted it for even a second.

"And I'm bi," she said dryly, which made him grunt.

"Welcome to the club, then."

Rin sighed in frustration and rubbed her temples. She had already expected this, but it was still a lot harder than she had imagined. Her captive was unwilling to divulge any information about himself, which was only natural, and she was running out of peaceful and ethical ideas on how to convince him. If this continued, she would need to take drastic measures that Shirou would definitely question.

"Alright," she said, "let me rephrase my question. How did you entered our apartment without going through the door or windows?"

"I, um..." he hesitated, his eyes darting everywhere. It seemed he had finally given up, and Rin leaned forward in eager anticipation.

Nico's face lit up a minute later. "Uh, I'm a magician. Yes, a magician," he said… rather uncertainly.

"A Magician?" asked Rin with a frown. "Like a person who could use one of the Five Magics?"

"Kind of."

Her frowned deepened. It was possible, highly possible that he was indeed a Magician. Spatial Teleportation was not achievable by modern Magecraft no matter how much time, energy, and resources, were spent. The Second Magic, was the closest to teleportation magic, albeit it would lead the user to other dimensions. But she had already seen how it worked once, and she was sure it involved a lot of colorful blinding lights which made her acquire a migraine for days.

Besides, his elemental affinity...

"Shadows," she said with a thoughtful expression. "Are you somehow a Necromancer?"

His dark eyes seemed to gleam at that, and he answered sincerely, "Oh, yes! Yes, I am!"

Rin stared at him for a moment, then glanced at Saber and Shirou, who shrugged helplessly. She knew they were all thinking the same thing; it did not made any sense at all. For one, nobody knew what the First and Fourth Magics actually were capable of. The Second, Kaleidoscope, and the Third, Heaven's Feel, could only be done under special conditions, while the Fifth was still uncear. Thus, Nico di Angelo's powers could not have originated from those. Furthermre, there was his blood and weapon to consider, which further contradicted his already dubious claims.

"...nice try, Pale Face," Rin finally said.

"W-What? I'm telling you the truth!"

"No, you are not," she glowered at him from her seat. Reaching out toward the nearest table, she picked up a small vial filled with blood and held it up with a victorious smile. "At least, not all of it. Because if you are really a magician, how come your blood has a huge amount of Divinity on it that you could essentially be a _demigod_?"

Nico could only stare at him in shock, and she savored his dumbstruck expression with glee.

"Moving on, there's also your sword to consider," she set down the vial then extended her right hand toward Saber, who immediately handed to her the wrapped object. Untying the cords, Nico's sword was revealed, as black as the abyss.

"Do you know that not even the best alchemists could create a weapon like this?" Rin glanced down and touched the blade with her forefinger and shivered at the ice cold surface. But more than that, her hairs stood on end at the contact. It was as if a part of her soul was being pulled in, and she quickly lifted her finger. Composing herself, she continued, "The metal itself is beyond what humans have found so far. And while it may not be a Noble Phantasm, the craftsmanship is almost the same: using materials from the Age of Gods."

"So, are you going to tell me why you possess a Stygian sword?"

Stygian Iron, a mythical rare metal that could supposed only be found in the Greek Underworld. It was said that Hades' helmet, the Helm of Domination, was forged from that metal along with all of their weapons, and only him and his children could wield it. However, it had always been consdered a myth… until now. And if Nico using the sword was a hard proof, then the kid was actually…

"Can't talk back now, are we, _Child_ of the Underworld?"

The look on his face was priceless. Rin almost wished she had one of those things they called a camera, but her magical recording devices would suffice. Nico's identity as a demigod, a _living_ demigod of the Greek God of the Dead, was the discovery of the millenium. If she presented him to the Mage Association, they would surely grant her many rewards. This was her big break, and she would not let this pass.

Plus, having Luvia bow down at her feet and groveling for mercy would be the icing on her cake. She could not wait to see that.

"H-How..."

"How did I know?" Rin smiled. "Well, it's all quite easy, really. Your blood is a dead give away, as well as your sword. You can control the shadows, and you looked _dead_. In any case, this just means one thing."

"Somehow, you are a demigod and your father is none other than Hades himself."

Thunder boomed overhead, and both Saber and Shirou shifted on their feet, glancing around rhem with unease. The room went cold for a moment, and she thought she saw a shadow moved toward Nico. But when she looked, it was gone.

Rin passed it off as a trick of her imagination.

"So how about this?" She continued as if nothing had happened. "You answer all my questions and I'll release you, or you don't answer them and I'll forcefully take them from you."

"Sorry, but I can't do that," Nico shook his head. It was now plain he would not talk after she had deduced his identity. But even though she could have released him right then, she would not. She never meant to, anyway.

"Fine," she sighed and stood up, placing the Stygian sword on the chair. "You want this the hard way then."

"Uh, Rin?" said Shirou with alarm as she grabbed a scalpel before approaching Nico. Unfortunately, she had to do this, and she would just apologize to her boyfriend later.

"Relax, Shirou," she answered. Her grin was predatory when she added, "I'm not going to hurt him. Much."

Nico began to struggle as she hovered above his head, but she did not pay him attrntion even as he spouted curses in four different languages. Slowly, the scalpel descended toward his forehead. "Now, how should I—"

However, before it even touched his pale skin, something happened. The shadows around the room, including her shadow, began to bend and rose, coalescing into a single spot to the left near one of the tables. It grew larger and larger until it consolidated into a distinct human shape. When it was finished, the shape solidified into a young girl who collapsed on the ground, gasping. In her right hand, a little ferret squirmed frantically and dropped to the floor beside her.

Then the animal transformed into a boy who was larger and more muscular than Shirou, and Rin almost felt her jaw dropped.

"Next time, Hazel," he gasped and groaned as he stood up to his full 6 feet height, "we are not going to shadow travel while I'm a ferret!"

* * *

 **Aaaaaand that ends chapter 2. XD**

 **Okay, so before you guys start throwing things, let me apologize for going on hiatus. I AM SORRY. A lot has happened last year, I got hospitalized thrice, I somehow lost interest in fanfction, and I just got back now.**

 **With that out of the way, let's discuss about the story. Yes, this will be extended. This was supposed to end in this chapter, but I decided to cut it and add another because I felt it would be a bit too long. Obviously, this one is a little shorter than the first chapter, and the next will probably have the same length.**

 **Regarding update schedule, no, I can't promise anything since I am now writing my first original novel and that is my main priority... as well as F/GO USA. Sorry folks. XD However, I will make sure another year won't pass before I finish this.**

 **Anyway, that's it. Please read and review!**

 **Until next time!**

 **...by the way, who's excited to see Vlad taking on six Servants two months from now? ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**III.**

 **THE ATELIER GETS FLOODED... WITH GEMS**

Hazel was initially having a good day, emphasis on _initially_. Today marked the third anniversary of the Second Giant War and the defeat of Gaea, and she could not be any happier. The world was saved, the camps were united, and everyone was alive; including Leo. That's why they thought a celebration was in order, a party that would commemorate the victory they had achieved.

Incidentally, that's not the only reason. Her duties in Camp Jupiter had been strenous as of late, and she and Frank wanted to relax for a while. So after receiving permission from Reyna, they decided to take a day off. And what a coincidence! Their planned vacation matched with the exact date they had ended the Gigantomachy. It was as if the Fates were giving them a reward for all their work.

The idea of touring France was Piper's idea. For a long time the daughter of Aphrodite had wanted to visit the place whose capital, Paris, was named after a prominent Greek iconic figure. Her knife belonged to Paris' lover once, Helen, who became the catalyst that started the famous Trojan War. Hazel knew that Piper valued the knife dearly, and she wanted to find out more about its previous owner. Moreover, France had many historical buildings, landmarks and monuments Annabeth wanted to see. Leo wanted to take Calypso there, too, so in the end they had all picked France as their destination.

Of course, courtesy of a certain son of Hephaestus who, in a strange sense of coincidence, had powers over fire, the news of their vacation trip spread like wildfire. And by the time the newly built Argo III embarked on her maiden voyage, what should have been a quiet get together for Seven demigods plus a former Titan turned out into a full blown cruise and sightseeing trip for over thirty carefully selected people.

Hazel supposed it was better this way, and frankly speaking, she enjoyed it with more of her friends. As they sailed into the Mediterrenean and passed many of the places they had been, it was like reliving their journey during the Second Giant War, albeit in a peaceful way this time without the impending destruction of the world hanging above their heads. And whenever any of the campers and legionnaires gaped in awe at the scenery below, she or any of the Seven would tell stories about that particular place.

She was glad that the ship was twice the size of the Argo II. Over fifty demigods, all of which were in their teens, were always a recipe for disaster, especially during parties. In Camp Jupiter, whuch was defintely more disciplined than its Greek counterpart, it was not uncommon for them to go really wild, even more when the veterans from New Rome were involved. Many times she had seen the Twelfth Legion got wasted to the point that they could not even stand up the next morning, which often made Reyna suffer a migraine. Fortunately, they were well-trained that their hangover would vanish a couple of hours later.

She had been afraid that the Argo III would not hold against its passengers. However, she soon found her fears to be baseless when the ship remained intact even after Frank performed a dance… in elephant form. How her boyfriend managed that feat she did not know, and never wanted to. There was just some things in the world that were better left undiscovered.

In the end, their first day passed without much unwanted incidents. Thanks to the ship's pure Celestial Bronze armor plating and Imperial Gold hull, no monster dared to attack them. Then again, if a vehicle was carrying the seven demigods who defeated Mother Earth herself plus dozens more, one of whom took down a Lydian drakon single-handedly, she would never want to attack that vehicle. Not unless she wanted to taste a full barrage of high-explosives armor-piercing anti-monster cannon shells.

By the time the first party ended and they had reached Europe, it was well over past midnight. Tired from the day's events, Hazel went to her room after giving Frank a goodnight kiss. All throughout the day they had waited for Nico to appear, but her half-brother did not arrive. Not that they were worried though; he would always come and go as he pleased, and it was not uncommon for him to decline an invitation, especially if he was on an errand from their father. Will had slightly became agitated when evening arrived and there was still no sign of him, but he soon calmed down with a little help from Piper.

Nico did, however, promised to come, which puzzled many of them when he did not. Still, there were still a few days left. He should turn up tomorrow.

Hazel soon hit the bed without even taking a bath. As sleep slowly overtook her senses, she wondered if her dream would involve a dancing elephant-Frank. It was both a funny and terrifying thought, and she giggled under the sheets. A minute later, she was soon fast asleep with a smile on her lips.

Her dream turned out to be very different.

* * *

The moment they had appeared out of the shadows, Shirou immediately tensed.

They were teenagers, a girl and a boy, around sixteen to nineteen years old. The girl was a couple of years younger than her companion, while the boy, the one who transformed from a ferret, looked more matured. They both had backpacks, and what looked like a Roman spatha belted on the girl's hips, which Shirou found odd; it was a cavalry sword, and therefore inappropriate in a fight without riding a horse. As they picked themselves up, apparently unaware of their surroundings, Shirou noticed a mark on their forearms.

SPQR followed by several dashes, like bar codes, and strange symbols.

"Next time, Hazel," the boy said as he gasped and rose, "we're not shadow-traveling while I'm a ferret!"

" Sorry! Are you okay?"

"Yes, somewhat. Though I feel like I want to throw up those tacos I ate thirty minutes ago."

His eyes zeroed in an instant to the shapeshifter. Tall, broad-shouldered and buffed like a football player, and definitely dangerous. The kid's bearings was that of a warrior, one who has seen and experienced enough combat that upon seeing Shirou, he quickly stiffened and tensed, placing himself closer to his companion while fingering a cylindrical object the size of a small flashlight tucked in his belt.

Was that a weapon? Shirou was not sure, so he activated his tracing and scanned the object. What he discovered made his eyes widened.

Imperial Gold. Forged two year ago, seen battle twenty-six times. Two configurations: a six feet long lance and a gladius. Capable of destroying beings with Divine heritage... and monsters.

The last bit of information made him uneasy. And as he felt the weapon being recorded in his Reality Marble, he wondered just what it meant. He knew supernatural creatures existed, of course—he had once hunted down and destroyed a Dead Apostle two years ago. But he had never heard of this kind of weapon being used to kill them. And most mythological creatures were gone, or so his studies had taught him. There was no reason for a weapon to be created against them.

Shirou glanced at Rin and Saber. The former was slack-jawed for a second at the kids' arrival, but quickly composed herself and grinned rather… maliciously, while the latter was already in her armor, holding an invisible Excalibur, poised ready to cut them down at a moment's notice. Her eyes, however, were not on the shapeshifter.

They were trained on the girl, Hazel, as did Rin's.

"Hello, there," his girlfriend greeted, her grin still plastered on her face. The girl's head immediately whipped in Rin's direction at the sound of her voice. She was African-American with curly brown hair and golden eyes, and looked nice enough if not for the sword she had. But there was something about her that alarmed Shirou more than the boy did.

She was brimming with prana.

Shirou took a step back. He had become more sensitive to magic ever since the Fifth Holy Grail War. And though his magical capabilities were inferior to Rin's, he still knew what a person with strong power felt like. Hazel was one such individual. He could sense that what she possessed was for more than what Rin had.

"Uh, hi?" she said nervously. Then she scanned the room and her eyes landed on the boy they had captured yesterday. "Nico!"

"Hello, Hazel," said Nico.

Rin scowled. "Okay, so I'm not going to ask how you two got here since I think I already know what your answer is going to be. But could you please just tell me what you are doing inside my apartment?" she demanded.

"Mist doesn't work on them, sister. I tried," said Nico lamely.

 _Mist?_ Shirou thought. What was that? He recalled the kid snapping his fingers yesterday. There was a rush of wind, and his mind had become fuzzy momentarily. But the feeling quickly vanished.

"It doesn't?!" Hazel gasped in shock at the same time as Rin.

"A sister? Wait, there's more of your kind out there?!"

"Our 'kind'...?" Hazel's eyes widened. "Nico, what did you tell them?!"

"Nothing, I swear!" he said.

The girl stared at them with an uneasy expression. Beside her, the boy, Frank, tensed as if he was already anticipating a fight. If it came down to it, Shirou had to strike him down first. Though Hazel felt more dangerous, Frank's aura unnerved him. It was as if he had met someone like him before.

Shirou glanced at Saber. Her grip on Excalibur was firm, and she gazed at Hazel with the look of a lion ready to pounce. He knew she could feel it too.

They were silent for a moment. Then Hazel narrowed her eyes. "Who... who are you guys?"

"I believe that's our line, girl," snapped Rin. "Who the hell are you?"

Behind them, Nico shifted on the table. "If you want to know, Hazel, that blonde is King Arthur."

"...say that again, Nico?"

"Never mind."

Rin let out an irritated sigh. "Okay, this is all getting weird now. So before this gets any more weirder, I advise that you two leave immediately."

Hazel shook her head. "I am not going anywhere without my brother."

"You two don't look alike."

The girl paused. "My half-brother," she admitted.

"Half-brother. Right." Rin did not sound convinced. "So who are your parents?"

Her answer came so fast that Shirou had a suspicion she had been asked that question a lot of times in her life and she already knew her response.

"Dead."

"Oh yes, that's right." Rin nodded as if it made perfect sense. She smirked. "Gods can actually die."

Hazel staggered back like she had been struck. Her face was ashen and she looked on the verge of panic. "W-What do you mean?"

"Don't fool with me, girl," growled Rin. "I took a blood sample from your half-brother and guess what I found out?"

Beside Hazel, Frank slowly raised his right hand. "Um... he's gay?"

"FRANK!" Hazel slapped Frank in the shoulder and he quickly lowered his hand, embarassed.

"I'm so going to remember that, _Fai_ Zhang," Nico chuckled darkly.

"Okay, okay! Sorry!" said Frank. He glanced at Rin nervously. "So, uh, about what you just—"

"You guys are demigods, aren't you?" the magus interrupted with a victorious smile.

The silence that followed was much deeper than the frst. Even though Rin had told them her theory and confirmed it just this morning, Shirou found it hard to believe with just one boy. However, two more? That was impossible.

"Rin?"

"Yes, you heard me, Shirou," said Rin without taking her eyes off Hazel. "They are demigods. And I bet that includes the guy beside her as well."

"But that's impossible! The Age of Gods are long gone. Their kind are supposed to be extinct!"

"Yeah, treat us like animals, would you?" grumbled Nico.

Rin turned her attention toward him. "You do realize you just confirmed everything, right?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Fine. So what if we are?"

"Nothing. Except that I'm going to capture you three and present you all to the Clock Tower."

"Like a newly discovered species of animals. How nice," said Nico sarcastically. He seemed unfazed. He even looked resigned, as if he had been in situations like this before. Shirou wondered, if they were really demigods, did that mean their lives had been harsh and cruel? Most of the stories he had read all had one thing in common: children of deities always suffered a lot.

"Er, Rin?" Shirou frowned. "I think this is a bad idea."

"Relax, Shirou. This is the opportunity we've been waiting for! Can you imagine the look on everyone's faces if we brought descendants of the gods? Even the Wizard Marshall would be impressed!" Her eyes had a mad gleam in them. Shirou only saw that look whenever his girlfriend was plotting something against Luvia. And in most cases, it never ended well for her.

"Yeah, but..." he hesitated, unsure what to say. He was not liking their situation right now, and he had to do something before Rin could make it worse. Finally, he sighed, "Don't you think it's kind of harsh to them?"

"Oh, come on!" Rin scowled. "Would you please let go of that 'Hero of Justice' persona of yours for once? This is a one of a kind chance!"

"It's not that..."

"Are you scared?" the magus raised an eyebrow. "Shirou, we faced the strongest demigod himself and survived!"

"Barely," he grunted. He was still experiencing nightmares about the Black Giant and how he almost killed them. It needed two Servants to take one of his lives away. And though most of his strength was due to having a Servant body as vessel, he did not want to take chances dealing with actual demigods, especially if they could turn into animals and take away his soul.

"My point is, they are just teenagers!" protested Rin.

"Um, excuse me?" Hazel suddenly interrupted. Her eyes shifted back and forth between them, uncertain who she should address.

"Yes?" said Rin.

"Er, did we just heard you correctly?" asked Hazel. "You fought Hercules?"

Rin smiled widely. "Why, yes, sweetie! And we survived! We even took one of his lives!"

Hazel blinked. "Lives?"

"Yes, lives," answered Rin like she was stating the obvious. 'As in one of his twelve lives."

"Hercules doesn't have multiple lives," said Hazel slowly. Something about her wording was odd. Why was she talking about Hercules in present tense?

"Yes, he did."

"No, he doesn't."

"Oh, really? And how did you know that?"

Hazel was silent.

"You met him, didn't you?" Rin pressed on. 'Tell me, were you a Master? Have you fought in a Holy Grail War?"

"Um, well, no..."

"You're lying."

"Look, we mean no harm to you guys." The girl pleaded. "We just want Nico back. Please!"

Rin shook her head. "Not possible. Every person who enters my Bounded Field without my permission never gets to leave until I say so."

"Yeah, we've heard those lines before," commented Nico dryly.

"Then what do you want from us?" asked Hazel desperately. "Please, we'll give you anything. Just let us go!"

"Well, it's really just simple." Rin grinned. "I want—"

At that moment, Frank blurted out, "Gems!"

"Where?!" Rin perked up like a child who heard someone shouted, "Candy!".

He stammered, "No, I mean—"

"We have gems!" said Hazel.

Rin's eyes almost burst out of their sockets. "You have gems? Like, real ones? Ruby, sapphire, emerald?"

"Diamonds. Yes, we have those!" The girl was nodding vigorously.

Rin hesitated. Shirou saw her expression wavered between suspicion and hunger. He knew that gemstones were her weakness. Then: "Show me."

Hazel shifted uneasily on her feet. "Well, that's..."

"Show. Me. Now." Rin had a wild look in her now. Almost desperate. Shirou had never seen her like this before, and he was getting worried. He glanced at Saber and paled at her expression.

She looked ready to kill.

"B-But..."

"Just give it to her, Hazel," Nico sighed. To Rin, he said, "If we give you gems, would you let us leave?"

She licked her lips. "Plenty... of it?"

"More than you can imagine." Nico smirked, and Shirou had a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"You have to show me first," she said, staring at Hazel skeptically.

"Fine." Nico rolled his eyes. "Hazel."

She shook her head. "Nico, I can't."

"Just do it!"

Hazel hesitated, then reluctantly she closed her eyes. They just had to wait for a second before a sparkling object bubbled right out of the floor in Rin's feet. It was the size of an apple, and its faceted surface gleamed bright.

Shirou gaped. "D-D-Diamond? A diamond? How did—" He looked at Hazel with shock. How did she do that?

Rin crouched and picked it up, examining the stone in her trembling hands. "Shirou, it's a diamond!" She said excitedly.

"Rin?" he gulped. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Look, it's a real diamond!" She pointed at Hazel. "Hey, you. Is there more of this?"

"Um, it's Hazel. And yes, I can give you more..." The girl frowned. "Are you sure you're not going to ask how I did it?"

"It doesn't matter," Rin dismissed the question with a wave of her hand, which only increased Shirou's suspicion that everything was not right. She hated not knowing. "Just give me more!" she demanded.

"Promise to us first that you're going to let us—"

"Deal!" Rin said quickly. "Now, give me my gems!"

"How many?" asked Hazel.

"How many do you have?"

"Um... enough to flood this room?" the girl said uncertainly.

"You can do that?" Rin said in disbelief. Hazel nodded.

"Do it!" Rin's expression was maniacal now. "I promise I'll let you three go. But please do it right now!"

The girl hesitated for a moment, glancing at Frank. He nodded vigorously and encouraged her with two thumbs up sign. Shirou wondered why she seemed afraid. Was it beyond her capabilities? But no. She had made that diamond appear.

Finally, Hazel said, "Okay." She closed her eyes again and furrowed her brows, clenching her fists. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the floor bubbled like boiling water and a ruby appeared, followed by a topaz, then emerald, until finally diamonds were popping out of the floor like mushrooms. They kept rising up, filling every corner of the room until their feet were buried a dozen inches.

"GEMS!" Rin shrieked in delight, kneeling on the wood and scooping up scores of diamonds in her arms. "Oh god, is this really true?! My atelier is being flooded with gems!"

Shirou looked around in wonder. The atelier was literally flooded with gems of all colors and sizes. Light reflected off their surfaces, bathing the room in muticolored lights. "Impossible," he muttered, unable to wrap his mind around the situation. "How did you guys... are these really gems?"

"100% pure. Guaranteed," said Nico smoothly.

"Shirou, we are rich!" Rin cried happily, showering herself with diamonds and rubies. "I'm rich! Gems!" Then she cackled in a demented way that made Luvia's sound normal.

Despite his growing concern for Rin's sanity, Shirou could not help but be impressed… and a little afraid. Now he knew why the girl's prana was off the charts. She could perform something close to True Magic.

He picked up a pebble-sized sapphire and bounced it in his right palm. It felt perfectly cool and heavy, just the way it should be. This was no trick; Hazel could really summon gems from the earth.

"Saber, look. They are real ge—" Shirou stopped upon seeing Saber's expression.

The King of Knights was not smiling.

"Saber?"

Saber ignored him and glared at Hazel. "What did you do to Rin?" she demanded.

Hazel stepped back and exchanged nervous looks with Frank. Her face was ashen from panic. "We just gave her gems like she asked!" she stammered.

"Saber, what's wrong?" Shirou drew closer. He could feel the air around Excalibur thrumming with power, a sign that Saber was ready to attack. What was going on?

When she answered, however, Shirou felt like he had been doused in icy water. "Shirou," her voice was hard, "there are _no_ gems in this room."

"What are you saying?" Shirou swallowed dryly. "Of course there are! Here." He showed her the stone in his palm. "This is a sapphire, right?" Off to the side, Rin was kissing a diamond the size of her head.

"Gems! Oh, my precious!"

"That's kinda old," Nico muttered.

"Shirou," Saber said in a firm voice, "I'm not seeing anything but empty air in the palm of your hand."

"Huh? What..." Shirou stared at the sapphire in his hand. Saber could not be lying, but neither was his own eyes. He was really seeing thousands of gems. Unless…

He activated his Projection magic and scanned the gem.

He found nothing.

"No. That's impossible," he muttered. "There should be a gem..." Realization slowly dawned on him. Suddenly, his mind cleared like a veil had been lifted, and the gems in the room vanished in clouds of mist.

 _An illussion!_

Shirou quickly rushed to Rin's side and shook her by her shoulders. She was still laughing lie crazy, grabbing the empty air in front of her. "Rin! Snap out of it! It's an illussion!"

"Gems!" she cheered.

"Rin!"

"Cease your trickery at once!" Saber growled at Hazel. The girl gasped.

"Impossible! How did you break past my illussion?"

"Hazel, this is bad," said Frank. He pressed a button at the top of the cylindrical object he was holding and it transformed into a golden gladius. Beside him, Hazel drew her spatha.

"I'm not going to repeat myself, demigods!" Saber bent her knees and lowered her stance.

Shirou kept shaking Rin, but she was trapped in her fantasy and ignored him. Her love for gems was too much that her mind could not break free from the illussion. He had to do something or she might forever stay in her little world, swimming in phantom gems and kissing them.

He glanced at the demigods. Now that he knew what the girl was capable of, he could no longer ignore her. And though her companion was just as dangerous, Shirou had to attack her first in order to break the spell on Rin. He had no choice.

"Uh-oh..." Frank said upon seeing his expression.

"Trace on!"

Shirou's Magic Circuits flared to life. Inside his mind, the gears on the sky of a barren wasteland filled with swords began to move. The land spewed smoke from hidden furnaces deep beneath the ground, and an image of two swords formed in his head. His hands crackled with electricity, and as they materialized, Shirou shouted, "Saber!", and charged, wielding swords of black and white.

"What in Pluto's oily underwear?!" Frank yelped just as Shirou swung toward Hazel. "Is that Kanshou and Byakuya?!"

Shirou did not bother asking how he knew about them. The moment he shouted Saber's name, there was a gust of wind and she burst forward. She swung her blade at the same as Shirou did, but to their utter shock, their target vanished into smoke. On the floor, Rin froze and looked around in bewilderment. "Huh? W-Wait a minute! What happened to my gems?! Shirou?! Saber?! Wha...?" her eyes widened. "Illussion! You guys tricked me!"

"Frank!" Hazel yelled. Shirou spun around and found her standing beside her brother, slicing off the reinforced chains with her spatha like they were made of butter. Before Shirou could react, Frank was already upon him.

Shirou blocked the first swing with Kanshou then struck with Byakuya. The boy was fast, however, and he parried it away before counterattacking with a stab. Shirou deflected it and swung at Frank's neck, but the boy ducked and rolled to the side, coming up behind him. Fast as lightning, Shirou whirled around only to find empty air. Frank had disappeared.

He looked around. Saber was dueling with Hazel, preventing her from freeing Nico. But she was having a hard time. The girl kept disappearing into smoke, emerging at a different spot and striking fast before vanishing again. Saber could not even land a hit. Rin was not faring much, either. She could aim a gandr without hitting Saber or Shirou.

"Fight fair, you coward!" Saber shouted.

Shirou glanced at the table. Nico was struggling against his bindings, but he was almost free. There was only one chain restraining his body. Should he break that, Shirou and Saber would find themselves fighting three enemies at once.

Out of the corner of his vision, Shirou noticed a tiny spider webbing itself toward him. Something nagged at his mind, like a warning. He had just only realized that it was the boy, Frank, when the spider transformed right in front of him. Shirou had no time to defend himself before Frank slammed into him. He staggered, swinging his swords, but Frank grabbed his arms.

"Sorry about this, man," the boy said. Then he threw him toward Saber. Shirou shouted a warning too late, and he crashed to his girlfriend. They tumbled on the floor until Shirou banged his head against a table.

Dazed, he tried to stand up, groaning. When he finally came to his senses, Nico was already standing at the crner and had his sword in one hand while the other reached out for his sister. Hazel was rushing toward him with a hamster clutching her clothes for dear life.

"Hazel, come on!" Nico urged her.

Everything should have ended right there, but of course, Rin had to mess it up.

"You're not getting away!" she screamed and lunged just as Hazel touched Nico. At the same moment, Saber yelled, "Rin, no!", and used Prana Burst to tackle her. Shirou did not think twice. He grabbed Saber at the hem of her dress armor.

Then his vision was swallowed by darkness.

...

It was only seconds, but to Shirou it was almost an eternity. He was aware of his surroundings, but it was dark and cold. Somewhere nearby, Rin was screaming her head off. He heard whispers and moans in the darkness, like tormented souls asking for salvation, and his stomach churned uneasily. It lasted for quite some time, and he thought he was going to die.

When it stopped, he found himself lying on the cold and hard floor. But something was very different. He knew it immediately. The scent of food wafted in the air: bacon, sausages, eggs, fresh bread, and fruits and vegetables and… tacos? He never cooked tacos before.

"Rin? Saber? Are you there?" He groaned, feeling like he had just a wrestling match with Berserker. Something sharp poked at his right shoulder.

"Yes, I'm here," Saber answered to his left.

"Ow! My head!" Rin whimpered beside her.

Shirou breathed a sigh of relief. At least, they were safe. Now if they could just determine where they were and—

"Nico, are you okay?"

His eyes snapped open. There was a sinking feeling in his gut, and he glanced to the right. Hazel was helping her brother stand up. Both looked shaken, and Nico was paler than before. The two demigods must have traveled by shadows, taking with them Rin, Saber, and naturally, Shirou. Unfortunately, that was not the worse part.

Shirou looked around. They were definitely in a different place. The walls were freshly painted, made with wood. The floor was polished mahogany, gleaming in the sunlight streaming from circular windows. There was also a gentle rocking motion like they were at sea. Most of all, the air was overflowing with so much prana that he almost fainted from the sheer amount of it.

His throat suddenly dry, Shirou raised his head and his heart nearly stopped beating. "Oh shit." In front of him were two long tables laden with enough food to feed a small army.

And sitting around them were at least thirty teenagers staring at him with shocked expressions.

* * *

 **And that ends chapter three! :)**

 **I've been reading a lot of reviews regarding Nico getting his ass handed to him by Saber, and I did understand their point. However, let me clarify it once and for all. First of all, Nico was tired. You've all read that. Training campers then shadow traveling without rest means certain defeat. Of course, he was skilled enough to hold off Saber for a minute, but that was not enough. Second, Saber IS a Servant. Yes, it might have been her own body plucked out from before her death, but she is still a Servant granted with more power by the Holy Grail to be able to go toe-to-toe with the other classes, especially a Berserker. Please take that into consideration. At best, only someone with the Blessing of Ares/Mars can match her strength and speed.**

 **Of course, these are demigods she is fighting. They have abilities beyond that of a normal human, or even a Magus. And this chapter perfectly displayed that difference.**

 **Regarding the fight here, I'm sorry if it was short. I don't want it to drag too long, and to be honest, there's no point in doing it. It is a rescue mission, and the rescuers were really in a hurry. XD**

 **Rest assured, though, the next chapter will have an epic fight. :)**

 **Well, that's it! Please Read & Review!**

 **Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**IV.**

 **FESTUS LOSES HIS HEAD(AGAIN)**

 **Before we begin, let me clarify a few things in this rare pre-story AN.**

 **The tuth is, I am torn between two camps of fans. The PJO fans and the FSN fans. So I'm going to clear things onceand for all.**

 **No, I did not nerfed anyone. I respected every character's skills, and rest assured they are what they should be in this timeline and universe. And this chapter should, hopefully, prove that.**

 **With that said, I will admit I had intentionally made Rin a little OOC last chapter. I was hoping to make it more humorous, but obviously my plan failed. Sorry for that.**

 **Hopefully, this chapter will make up for it.**

* * *

Arturia often took pride in her capabilities.

She had been in a lot of battles already. As the king of Britain for a decade, she had led a dozen campaigns against invaders and rebels. Her army did not know defeat, her knights as valiant as she was. Every time the flag of Britain would wave, her enemies felt only two things in their feeble hearts: awe and terror. During her reign, she had defended her country with unwavering resolve and bravery, never backing down from a challenge. Anyone who tried to destroy the peace and prosperity she had built over the years, she and her Knights of the Round Table would cut them all down until they surrender or die.

The King of Knights had never been truly afraid in battle. She was trained and taught by a skilled knight, and no ordinary weapon could match Excalibur in power. Avalon gave her near-immortality and fast regeneration, which was why she no longer aged after taking the throne. More than that, she had fought in so many battles that her experience, combined with her Servant body, gave her so much power that she was able to fight against the strongest demigod.

And yet she was not prepared for this kind of situation.

It was foolish of her going after Rin like that; she should have just restrained her, saving them from a great deal of trouble. And it was even more foolish of them to hold a demigod captive. They should have expected that he was not alone in the world.

And therein lay the problem: they didn't know. They didn't know that demigods still existed, and that they had powers equal to Magi. Back in her days, Arturia had only thought of them as mere legends. She remembered vaguely that Merlin mentioned them sometimes, but she never payed much attention. The fool often rambled and spoke nonsense. Besides, she never truly trusted him after that incident when he manipulated her body to become a man for a brief period of time.

Now she really wished she did listened to his stories. Faced with more than two dozen demigods, some of whom felt just as strong and dangerous as that Nico, she was certain that she would have a hard time protecting Rin and Shirou. If only she was by herself, then she could unleash all her power and destroy them in seconds.

But no, that would be foolish of her as well. A quick scan of her surroundings told her that they were in a room, likely a dining hall if the tables and food were anything to judge by, that had little space for maneuvering. Circular windows lined one side of the walls, giving her a view of a bustling city and… was that Eiffel Tower in the distance? She could also see cruise ships and smaller boats, passing by in a leisurely speed.

The river Seine. Which meant that they were in a ship. If that's the case, she could break past the enemies and create an escape route for Rin and Shirou. However, that would require precise timing. The room was not exactly suitable for combat.

"Um, guys? Who are these people?"

Arturia fixed her eyes to the source of the voice in an instant. Tall, blonde just like her, with pale blue eyes that gazed at her cautiously behind a gold-rimmed eyeglasses. The boy wore an orange shirt and purple jeans, and in his right arm was the same tattoo she had seen on the other two demigods a few minutes ago, albeit with an eagle symbol. He had a dangerous aura around him, and more than that, there was an air of authority which Arturia was all too familiar with.

"Jason," groaned Nico. To Arturia's left, the boy was being helped up by his sister while the other boy, Frank, stood protectively over them.

"Nico, what—"

"They held me hostage!"

Arturia instinctively raised her sword as three dozen pairs of eyes bore on her. Their intense gazes almost made her act, but she held her ground. Attacking rashly would do no good, and she didn't like the look of some of them. She prioritized at least three whom she had to strike down first if ever a fight ensued.

The first one was a boy of about nineteen with messy black hair. Arturia recognized a troublemaker when she saw one; after all, Camelot had its fair share of troublemaking knights and wizards. However, the boy was different; he radiated power. He was like a calm ocean just waiting to be unleashed as a hurricane at a moment's notice. Moreover, his sea-green eyes held a strange gaze. It was as if he had seen everything, even Hell itself.

The next one was a cinnamon-brown haired girl. Sixteen? Seventeen? Arturia could not exactly tell her age. She looked young, but her almond-shaped eyes told a different story. It belonged to a person who had experienced a lot in her life. Arturia recognized that look. She often saw it whenever she looked in a mirror.

Her eyes flicked to the last one on her list, and she tightened her grip on Excalibur.

Blonde hair and storm-grey eyes. She stood beside the boy who smelled like the sea, and Arturia could tell that of everyone in the room, she was the most dangerous. It was the way she gazed at her _and_ Shirou, like she was also prioritizing them in her own list of who to eliminate first, calculating how strong they were and forming countermeasures to defeat them. Arturia knew right then that she was looking at a war strategist, one who had faced as many battles as she did.

"Hostage?" the blonde girl said slowly. "Nico, what's the meaning of this? Where have you really been?"

By now, their sense of surprise had completely vanished, replaced with alarm and caution. Out of the corner of her vision, Arturia saw Shirou standing in front of Rin, who was moaning in pain. Their girlfriend had a purple bruise on her forehead where she had hit the table.

"It's true!" said Hazel as she dragged her brother away. "These, um, I don't really know who they are. But Father said they had Nico. So he told me and Frank to rescue him." She shot Rin an apologetic look. "I had to use the Mist to manipulate her mind… a bit."

"Just a bit?" asked a Hispanic boy standing beside the girl with the almond-shaped eyes.

"I made her go a little crazy over a sea of illusionary gems," Hazel answered sheepishly. Several of them whistled in awe. Meanwhile, another boy approached them in haste and inspected Nico.

"Are you alright, Nico? What did they to you?" he asked in concern. He had blond hair and blue eyes like Jason, though Arturia could tell they were not related. This one looked laid back and gentle, while Jason was like one of those ancient Roman emperors and commanders: a leader and a fighter.

"I'm fine, Will," Nico grumbled. "I just almost got dissected, but I'm fine."

"You almost got what?" Will flashed Arturia an angry look, along with the rest of his friends. "What did you do to my Nico?"

Arturia tensed. In a firm voice, she said, "Please, let us go. This is all just a mistake." She hated pleading and lying to her enemies just to escape harm, but she had Rin and Shirou to protect.

"Uh, lady with the weird dress armor and holding the air like a sword?" the Hispanic boy said. "Why are you acting like we did something to you? Aren't you people the ones who just appeared on _my_ ship with _our_ friends? And Nico said you took him hostage?" His eyes gleamed dangerously.

"This is just a mistake!" said Shirou quickly. Arturia heard the rising alarm in his voice. "My girlfriend was just paranoid at the time, so she thought your friend was an enemy. But we didn't mean to hurt him!"

Rin smacked him in the arm. " _I'm not paranoid, you idiot!_ " she cried in Japanese.

"Let me guess, Nico," said the Hispanic boy. "You accidentally shadow traveled in Japan this time?"

"London, actually," said Nico before he doubled over and vomited on the floor. He passed out a minute later. Some of the demigods cried and rushed to him. Others cast dark looks toward Arturia.

The blonde girl stepped forward. "What did you do to our friend?" Her voice had an edge to it.

Arturia tried to remain calm. "As my friend have said, this is all a mistake. We didn't mean to—"

"You expect us to believe that?" The girl arced an eyebrow. She stared at her for a moment, examining her. Arturia felt the girl's eyes scrutinizing every part of her body. Her gaze lingered for a while on her hands. Finally the girl said, "You're not human."

Arturia bit back a curse. The girl was smart. "Maybe," the knight shrugged. "But then so are you people."

While she was saying this, Arturia racked her brains for a plan to escape. She could not attack unless the demigods did first since that would place Rin and Shirou in danger. In a situation like this where a person was outnumbered ten to one, being on the defense would be the key to victory. Plus, Rin was still disoriented. If she could stall for time, the magus could recover and come up with an idea, increasing their chance of survival.

Unfortunately, fate seemed to have its own plan. Just as Arturia was about to keep talking, a girl near the back of the group gasped. "Impossible! Don't tell me… Oh my gods, you're a Servant!" She pointed behind Arturia. "Then that means those two are Magi!" Confusion rippled among her friends.

A cold dread began to form in the pit of Arturia's stomach. The girl was tall and dark-haired, with green eyes that stared at her in both shock and fear. Much like the others, Arturia sensed vast amounts of prana inside her. That did not bode well. If the girl knew about Magi and Servants, then these group was far more dangerous than she had thought.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Arturia lied once more. She was starting to hate herself. A knight, especially a king, never lied.

"Lou, do you know who are these people?" the blonde girl asked.

The girl known as Lou swallowed hard. "Yes… B-But I can't tell you guys anything unless Mother say so. All children of Hecate who knew about _them_ have sworn an oath in the Styx to keep it a secret." She took a deep breath. "All I can say is they're dangerous, especially that one in the armor. And they can't know about us."

The temperature in the room dropped. All eyes returned their attention to Arturia, and this time there was determination in them.

"Lou," the blonde girl asked in a calm voice, "can you and the Hypnos cabin erase their memories?"

The answer came in a second. "Yes."

"Good." The girl drew a bronze dagger. "Sorry. Whoever you guys are, you hurt our friend and you know about us. We can't let you leave." Around her, the others began drawing weapons until Arturia was facing thirty heavily armed teenagers. Most with swords, some with spears and bows, even a flaming hammer.

Needless to say, the situation was not looking good.

Behind Arturia, Shirou cursed. "Saber…"

The Servant nodded. She knew what to do. They had trained for this before, after one of their missions in Africa where they were almost devoured by a horde of undead. She just didn't expect history to repeat in this manner.

Without hesitation, Arturia willed her blade to reveal itself.

The next couple of minutes went in a blur, even for her trained mind. After unleashing

Invisible Air, the room was engulfed in a vicious wind. Tables and food were sent flying, and the demigods yelled as they were pushed back. Their shots missed, and flames were extinguished. Windows shattered and the door was blasted apart from its hinges, the entire ship rumbling in protest. In Arturia's hands, Excalibur shone in all its glory.

However, one demigod stood unaffected: the one they call Jason. He stood like a pillar of rock against a hurricane, the wind parting before him. His eyes sparked, and in his right hand he held a _gladius._ "Stop!" he yelled and charged.

Before he could get close, a large tower shield materialized in front of him. Artura smiled as she heard a yelp followed by a loud thud. More shields appeared out of thin air, forming a protective half-circle and dividing the room in two.

Without wasting a moment, Arturia turned and sliced a good size of the wall before grabbing Rin by her waist, which made the magus shrieked in surprise. Shirou lowered his arms, his face grim. "Go. I'll follow soon."

Arturia nodded and stood at the opening she had created. In front of her, the road was fifty-feet away. She would have to jump and cross the water.

"Saber, what—" Before Rin could finish her sentence, Arturia used Prana Burst and shot forward like an arrow, landing on the river Siene and sprinting along the surface while holding a very terrified Rin in her arms.

It only took her a few seconds to reach the streets. Arturia leapt into the pavement, startling several pedestrians, and kept running. She knew the rules of the Mage Association, but now was not the time for subtlety. They were being pursued by hostile enemies, and she did not want to know what they would do if the demigods captured Rin or her. From what she knew of gods, it was that most of them were not exactly kind and forgiving.

Finally she spotted a quiet and small park dotted with trees and dominated by a fountain in the center. No one was around, so she took it as a good sign and ran to a bench where she deposited a white-faced Rin.

"Is it over, Saber? Are we safe?" she asked in a weak voice. Her eyes were close, and she trembled from shock.

Arturia scanned the area. Except for a few birds chirping in their nests, they were alone in the park. The nearest street was a hundred yards to the left, blocked by a line of elm trees. "Yes, Rin. We're safe now." _Hopefully._

Slowly, Rin opened her eyes. "Oh good. I think I left my stomach back in that ship." Then she covered her mouth for a second before throwing up in the grass at her feet.

Careful not to step on the disgusting puddle, Arturia rubbed her girlfriend in the back with her free hand as Rin disgorged her breakfast. She felt bad about placing Rin in such a state, but she had no choice. If she had not crossed the water while carrying the young magus, they would still be stuck in the ship.

When Rin was finished emptying her stomach, she straightened up and wiped her lips with the sleeves of her shirt. She looked better now, though her face was still pale and shaken.

"You alright?" Arturia asked.

"Yes." Rin nodded. She glanced around the park. "Do you think they'll follow us?"

"I don't know." Arturia shook her head. "But we have to prepare for the worst. Once Shirou is here, we'll find a place to hide. We're too vulnerable here." Even as she said this, her grip around Excalibur tightened. Every muscle in her body was screaming at her to run, yet she didn't see any sign of danger.

"That idiot better hurry up," Rin muttered. She stared down with disgust at the puddle between her feet. "Saber, can we find another bench to sit?"

Arturia looked around for a moment. Near the fountain was a row of benches. "Alright." She nodded.

"Thanks." Rin stood up. Still in her armor, Arturia followed her, keeping an eye out for enemies. Halfway toward their destination, it just occurred to her that the birds had stopped chirping. Overheard, the sky churned while a gust of wind blocked their path.

She realized it too late. Before she could react, a boy dropped down from the sky in front of them.

Jason scowled. "And where do you think you two are going?"

* * *

It was easy to find them.

Jason owed it all to Lou Ellen. As a daughter of Hecate, she was naturally sensitive to magic. Right after the strange _and_ dangerous lady knight left with the other woman, Lou helped in tracking them down. Jason and a few others immediately pursued them. They were not really planning to hurt the two women; they were still mortals, and it was a taboo for demigods to harm one.

But he'd be damned if they did not want payback. They held Nico hostage. They tried to harm _their_ friend. Worse they wrecked the newly built Argo III, which made Leo really angry. And an angry Leo was a dangerous Leo.

So while their resident Repair Boy rushed off to chase down that red-haired man who could frigging summon shields and swords from out of nowhere, Jason flew in the sky.

Lou warned them of how dangerous their opponents were, and he believed every word of it. The knight was different from any other being he had faced before. Her aura was strong, much stronger than Percy. Heck, one look at her and Jason knew she was nothing like the enemies he had already fought.

For one, there was her sword which, when wrapped in wind, was invisible to the eye. He had never heard of any powers like that before. And when he tried it on his own weapon, it failed spectacularly and almost sent him plummeting on the asphalt. A total embarrassing moment for a son of Jupiter.

It did not take long to track them down in a park. While hovering several hundred feet in the air, Jason noticed how the knight's sword was back to being invisible. He still could not forget how she summoned a strong gust of wind without any effort, which he knew it came from her weapon rather than within herself, nor the golden brilliance once she had revealed it. Compared to his gladius, her sword was much prettier and looked deadlier.

He waited for them to lower their guard. And when they started to move, he dropped down from the sky with a scowl.

"And where do you think you two are going?"

The women froze. The lady knight moved in front of the her friend, shielding her. Judging by her stance, she was more than ready to attack at a moment's notice. "Please. Let us go."

Jason noted the steel in her voice and how her jade-green eyes glinted as she spoke. He realized she would kill him without hesitation, and fought the urge to swallow hard. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Now that you know about us, we can't let you go."

The knight's expression hardened. "And if we refuse to cooperate?"

In response, Jason flipped his _gladius_ in the air. It landed back in his hands as a five-feet long _pilum. "_ Then we have no choice but to take you with us by force."

To his surprise, the woman smiled. "You think you can beat me, demigod?" Beside her, the Japanese woman hissed a warning.

"Saber!"

Jason did not know if that was the knight's name or a secret code word, but he had more pressing matters to focus on. Like how his backup was running late. "I can beat you," he said with such confidence that he wanted to believe it himself. The truth? He knew his chances were extremely low.

Saber shifted her stance. "Then why don't we try it?" she said before launching herself toward him.

Jason wanted to say he managed to defend himself just fine. In reality, he almost died within the first three seconds. The woman was too fast! She struck with the speed of a snake, the grace of a ballerina, and the force of a full-grown Cyclops. Jason could barely parry her blows, and he fought until his arms grew numb from the force of their duel.

He almost got decapitated by a swing, but he quickly rolled out of the way. When he came back up, Saber was already in front of him, her hands in the middle of a thrusting motion.

With a yelp, Jason jumped and flew a hundred feet into the sky, his eyes wide in fear. Gods of Olympus, he almost got skewered! How could she moved that fast? Before he could process how she did it, the woman leapt after him with impossible speed and strength.

The son of Jupiter yelled and swerved a dozen feet to the left, avoiding the slash that would have bisected him in the stomach. He watched as Saber landed back on the ground without any effort. She definitely could not fly, but her jump was powerful enough to make it look like she could. He did not know any demigod who could do that.

He changed his weapon back into sword mode. Fighting her in close combat was dangerous, so he switched tactics. Climbing higher in the sky until his opponents were no bigger than his fingernails, Jason raised his _gladius_.

The sky rumbled and a bolt of lightning struck his sword. He redirected it below him where he was certain Saber was standing. It lanced toward her, crackling. To his horror, Saber simply flicked her invisible sword and deflected the lightning toward a nearby tree. It struck the trunk with a loud crack, and the tree went up in flames like a large bonfire.

Jason gaped. His lightning was deflected just like that. Only a few had been able to perform such a feat, most were Titans and Giants. Who was this scary woman?

He did not have time to ponder Saber's identity. Below him he saw what looked like a black sphere streaking toward him. It seemed to have came from the Japanese woman. He dived to avoid, but more came shooting past him. It was like a gun, except this was more deadlier. He had confirmed that when he parried one with his sword and sent it flying toward the base of a tree where it punched a fist-sized hole through the bark.

Cursing under his breath, Jason dove back to solid ground. Flying was no longer an option; he would simply get shot down like a World War II fighter plane. At least here on the earth, he could plan his movements carefully. He could use Saber as a shield so her friend would not be able to shot at him.

This time Jason took the initiative and charged. Saber intercepted him in the blink of an eye, and the two began a morbid dance of golden sword and empty air. He parried, blocked, and deflected blow after blow. The air around them vibrated from the intensity of their duel, and with every swing of their weapons the ground shook, sending tufts of grass flying. Jason tried to counterattack with feints only to be repelled by Saber's faster reflexes. He could tell the woman was more skilled with the sword.

As the fight dragged on, his arms grew tired and his sword felt like lead weight. His movements slowed until he could no longer evade a slash. He acquired numerous cuts throughout his arms until he looked like he had been mauled by the _karpoi_ , Peaches. He was beginning to lose the battle. Until at last Saber sent him flying back with a powerful kick to the navel.

Jason landed twenty feet away, coughing up blood. He stood up groaning, but his legs buckled and he collapsed on one knee. His body was sore and his arms were trembling so much that he dropped his sword on the grass. He clutched his stomach, gasping at the pain. She must have broken a rib or two when she kicked him.

"Giving up now?" Saber taunted. Behind her, the other woman had her right hand pointed straight to him in the form of a finger gun. A black sphere hovered at the tip of his index finger.

Jason looked up and shook his head. "Sorry, but giving up is not my style." Then he grinned. He was facing the fountain while the women had their backs turned toward it, so they did not noticed the water rising in spirals and forming huge fists.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Saber.

Jason pointed behind her just as the water fists smashed into the knight and her friend. The Japanese woman screamed as she was thrown to the ground, shivering and sputtering. Saber seemed to be unharmed. The water then rose and swirled around the two like a barrier. Up in the sky, a giant eagle cried. As it flew overhead, someone jumped down and landed beside Jason with a frown, his bronze sword ready.

"How come you're not soaked in water?" Percy stared at Saber in confusion.

The knight smirked. "I'm protected by the Lady of the Lake," she replied. "You're powers will not affect me."

"Lady of the Lake, uh…" Percy shook his head. "Nope. Sorry, doesn't ring any bells." He glanced down at Jason and extended a hand. "You okay, bro?"

"Where the heck have you been, man?" Jason moaned as he hoisted himself up. "I almost got decapited, skewered, and bisected by that weird lady knight! She even managed to deflect my lightning!"

"No way!" The son of Poseidon stared in disbelief. "So both lightning and water doesn't work?"

"Yeah." Jason coughed again, spitting more blood. His sides burned. His chest heaving.

"Here." Percy pulled out an ambrosia square from his pocket and gave it to Jason.

"Thanks," the son of Jupiter said while munching on the godly food. He felt instantly re-energized, and the pain in his ribs subsided to a dull throb. "Where are the others?" he asked while watching their opponents. The two had not made any attempt to escape since Percy appeared.

Percy did not have to answer. No sooner had Jason uttered those words, Frank The Giant Eagle transformed into a dragon and roared in the air. An answering roar, loud and metallic, came from somewhere to the right as Festus appeared on the horizon and circled the park. To Jason's left a blur zoomed past in a trail of dust, and Arion reared with Hazel and Annabeth on his back, weapons drawn.

In the air, Leo's voice boomed as he shouted using a megaphone. "You two are now surrounded by the Awesome Demigod Squad! Surrender now or face the wrath of Captain Leo!"

More of their friends showed up. Clarisse in her electric spear; the Stoll brothers with swords at the ready; Dakota with his _gladius_ in one hand and a bottle of Kool-Aid in the other, looking wild and excited. There were Katie and Miranda Gardner beside Lou Ellen, keeping the right flank secured. Gwen stood near the fountain, cutting off any escape route in that direction.

"The rest are still chasing the other one," explained Percy when Jason asked where was Piper. She was in the bathroom when the fight in the mess hall began. "And Hazel told us her illussion didn't work on that knight, so we guessed Piper's charmspeak won't either."

Jason nodded. Even if his girlfriend's powers worked, he did not want her to get caught in the battle. Not after finding out how dangerous their enemies were.

Annabeth dismounted Arion and joined Percy. She now wielded her drakon bone sword. "Lou said we have to capture them at all costs," she said. "And I agree with her. Whoever these people are, they made Hecate really agitated. We just received a personal message from _her."_

That did not bode well. If the goddess of magic actually talked to them herself, then the situation was far worse than Jason had first thought it was. "Did she said anything about how we can defeat her?" he pointed at Saber who stood protectively in front of her friend.

"Yeah," said Annabeth. "She said we all have to gang up and pray we survive." Her tone made it clear she disliked the plan more than Jason did.

 _Gang up on just one person?_ Jason wondered. Was the knight really that powerful that even a goddess was afraid they would not survive? "Well, I'm not gonna argue with that. But let's see first if we can convince them one last time to surrender." He stepped forward, holding his gladius to the side to convey his peaceful intent. "You two are now surrounded. Please, we don't have to fight. If you come peacefully with us, we will never have to hurt you both."

Saber shifted into a fighting stance, smiling. "What makes you think _all_ of you can harm us?"

Jason swallowed the lump in his throat. The woman was serious. "We have fought worse beings than you and won," he said. "You won't stand a chance against us."

"Oh?" Saber arced an eyebrow. "You could try, demigod. In any case, we won't surrender." Her tone made it clear she had already decided.

Jason exchanged looks with Percy and Annabeth. This was it. They had no choice now but to resort to brute force and capture the women. It left a bad taste in Jason's mouth. But when he remembered how Nico looked like he had been mugged, rage boiled inside his chest.

The son of Jupiter nodded at Percy. Raising his left hand, Percy clenched it like a fist.

The water barrier exploded and showered the area. At the same time, a hatch opened in Festus' stomach and a bronze net dropped above and over Saber's head. Yelling, Annabeth and Percy charged followed by everyone else. They avoided the Japanese woman's shots and went straight for Saber.

Halfway through, their plan quickly gone south.

In one swift motion, Saber sliced the net that had entrapped her and leapt into the air. She kicked Dragon-Frank in the snout and sent him crashing to the ground, then used the momentum to launch herself at Festus. She sliced off his head, making Leo howl as they too plummeted to the ground, and used the neck as a springboard to propel herself back toward Jason and the others.

For some horrifying reason that Jason could not fathom, Saber was able to fight all of them at the same time. They attacked all at once, yet she was so fast that she parried all their strikes. The Stoll brothers were knocked unconscious during the first minute, followed by Dakota and Gwen within the next five seconds. The Gardner sisters summoned vines, but Saber cut them down in one swing before they could restrain her. She burst toward them and punched Katie in the stomach, which sent her flying toward a human Frank. Both tumbled on the ground.

Clarisse dueled her next, but she was batted away like a rag doll despite her strength and skills. Arion leapt toward Saber. The knight simply jumped and spun in the air. She slammed her feet to Arion's ribs, and Jason heard bones cracking. Both horse and rider screamed as they became separated; Hazel was thrown to the ground while Arion sailed to a tree, plowing through it with so much force that he gouged the earth for several meters until he stopped, unmoving.

Percy roared in fury and charged just as Saber landed. He swung Riptide and their swords locked briefly before the two began to duel. For a moment, Percy somehow managed to match her speed. Riptide became a bronze blur. Then Jason saw that Percy was standing in a pool of water. It must be where he was getting his additional strength.

Unfortunately, his luck did not last. Saber vaulted over him, then twisted her body and smashed her left leg to the side of his head. The son of Poseidon crumpled in an instant, landing face first into the water. Annabeth yelled.

At that moment, a lion bounded into the battlefield and roared. From the headless remains of Festus, Leo emerged wreathed in flame and wielding a hammer. He howled and charged forward followed by Frank. Jason joined them, and the three heroes fought Saber with hammer, sword, and claws.

They might as well have fought Briares the Hundred-Handed One. Saber slashed with blinding speed and cut all of Frank's claws. She sliced Leo's hammer in two and proceeded to extinguish his flame with a powerful gust of wind. Frank, back in human form, attacked her. But she disarmed him in less than a minute and knocked him out with a single punch. Leo launched a giant ball of flame, which was deflected back at him and threw the son of Hephaestus toward Festus' head a hundred yards away.

Hazel used the Mist to harass Saber while Jason distract the knight. But it was hopeless. She was too fast and nimble. They could not land a hit. The fight was totally one-sided despite their numbers and strength. Hazel finally grew tired and appeared next to Frank. She had a large gash on her stomach where Saber caught her the moment she had teleported away.

Jason growled. Now he was the only one left. All the rest were incapacitated or too exhausted to fight. The others were far away for him to call for help.

Suddenly, Annabeth shouted, "Move or she dies!"

Jason turned his head in her direction. During the battle, Annabeth and Lou had sneaked past the chaos and attacked the other woman instead. Jason did not know how they managed that without being noticed. Now Annabeth had her sword pressed against the woman's neck while Lou restrained her with some sort of magical rope.

"Release her!" Saber shouted. She stepped forward, but Jason blocked her path.

"Stay where you are!" he said. He risked a glance at Annabeth and Lou. "Annabeth, Lou, hurry up and back off! I—"

Jason did not know what happened exactly. One moment, Saber was standing several yards behind him. In the blink of an eye, there was a rush of wind and she was in _front_ of him. Her gauntlets were stained with fresh blood, and her invisible sword was touching his neck. "Kill her, and he loses more than his arm."

Both Annabeth and Lou were horrified, and even their captive looked like she wanted to vomit. But Jason barely registered their expressions in his mind. He was staring at the ground where his right arm lay clutching his sword.

 _Where his right arm lay._

Oh.

He looked down to his right. Sure enough, there was only a bloody stump where an arm should be.

Jason suddenly felt light-headed. His body froze, and it seemed the goddess Khione had enveloped him with her icy breath. He was cold.

He collapsed on the ground, shivering. His vision flickered. He heard shouts and screams. Images blurred. He saw a girl with two _siccae_ fighting Saber on equal footing and other people running toward them. Everything turned black for a moment. He was losing consciousness fast.

The last thing Jason saw before darkness engulfed his mind were hundreds of swords hovering in the sky.

* * *

 **So, yeah. That happened. XD**

 **I'm not sure if I did the fight scenes properly, but you guys are going to be the judge of that. Hopefully, you all enjoyed it.**

 **Please Read & Review!**

 **Until next time!**


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